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ATIONAL RECREATION ASSOCIATION . JANUARY I960 . 5Oc
on U.S. Savings Bonds
The Treasury explains why the new ones you buy and the ones
you own now are better than ever
Q: How does the new 3 % % interest rate benefit me?
A: With Series E Bonds, the rate turns $18.75 into
$25.00 fourteen months faster than the old
rate. Your savings increase faster, because your
Bonds mature in just 7 years, 9 months.
With Series H Bonds, the 10-year maturity
period stays the same but more interest is paid
you each six months. With both E and H
Bonds the new rate works out to 2^% for the
first year and a half; then a guaranteed 4%
each year to maturity.
Q: When did the new rate become effective?
A: June 1, 1959.
Q: Does the new rate change the Bonds I bought be-
fore June 1, 1959?
A: All older E and H Bonds pay more now an
extra J/2 % from now on, when held to maturity.
The increase takes effect in the first full interest
period after June 1.
Q: Will the Bonds I own automatically earn their
new rate?
A: Yes. You don't need to do a thing just hold
on to your Bonds.
Q: When my E Bonds mature, will they keep on
earning interest?
A: Yes. An automatic 10-year extension privilege
went into effect along with the new interest
rate. This means your E Bonds will automati-
cally keep earning interest after maturity.
Q: With the new interest rate, should I cash in my
old Bonds and buy new ones?
A: No. The automatic ?2% increase makes it
unnecessary and in almost every case it is to
your advantage to retain your present Bonds.
Q: How safe are U. S. Savings Bonds?
A: Savings Bonds are an absolutely riskless way
to save. The United States Government guar-
antees the cash value of your Bonds will not
drop, that it can only grow.
Q: What if my Bonds should be lost, stolen or de-
stroyed?
A: You can't lose. Every Bond purchased is re-
corded by the Treasury. If anything happens to
your Bonds they are replaced free.
Q: How do I help strengthen America's peace power
when I buy I . S. Savings Bonds?
A: Peace costs money money for military strength
and for science. And money saved by individu-
als helps keep our economy sound.
YOU SAVE MORE THAN MONEY WITH
U.S. SAVINGS BONDS
The U.S. Government does not pay for this advertising. The Treasury Department thanks
The Advertising Council and this magazine for their patriotic donation.
MACGREGOR
for good sports everywhere!
Whatever your in-season sports program, MacGregor athletic
equipment can help make it a popular success. Golf, tennis,
softball, baseball just about any sport comes off better when
MacGregor balls and equipment are used. Generations of ath-
letic-minded men and women, boys and girls, have looked to
MacGregor for the finest in all sports equipment. Give your
program a boost by providing the best . . . MacGregor for all
good sports. MacGregor equipment is available from sporting
goods dealers everywhere.
Lt^ A Iruniwi'ck
'The Choice of Those Who Play The Gome' ^^ Svbiidiorjr
THE MACGREGOR CO., Cincinnati 32, Ohio BASEBALL FOOTBALL BASKETBALL GOLF TENNIS
TANITABY IQfiO When writincr to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
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JTime
land
* Money!
Stop wasting time recording inventory costs,
handing out balls and paying top prices for low
quality balls. Install this attractive, cost-cutting
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inches high. Easy to install. Holds 1 20 balls-
dispenses each for 104. Choice of 3 grades of
top quality balls. Use profit to maintain and re-
place paddles, nets, etc. No risk guarantee. Send
for free folder: "Stop Wasting Their Time."
T. F. TWARDZIK & CO.,
INCORPORATED
SHENANDOAH, PENNA.
Looking for more
POOL PROFITS
next season?
Here's one sure solution . . . install
a Sentinel Coin-and-Key Locker
System and do away with your old-
fashioned bag or basket checking.
Customers like the security and
the serve-self convenience. You
eliminate checkroom payrolls and
liability risks.
Patrons are happy to pay for the
better service these beautiful lock-
ers provide . . . you retire the locker
costs quickly, out of the increased
revenue.
The proof? Hundreds of pools and
beaches will confirm all these ad-
vantages. Get the facts now. Write:
COIN-AND-KEY
OPERATED CHECKING SYSTEMS
THE FLXIBLE COMPANY
LOUDONVILLE, OHIO
Readers! You are invited to send letters for this page
to Editor, RECREATION, 8 West Eighth Street, New
York 11 so that your ideas, opinions and attitudes
may be exchanged with others on the wide range of
subjects of concern to us all. Here is your chance to
agree or disagree with the authors of our articles.
Keep letters brief not more than 250 words.
The Editors.
Friend to Friend
Sirs:
As a regular reader of your esteemed
magazine at the United States Informa-
tion Service Library in Colombo [Cey-
lon], I am writing with the fervent hope
that our society and its members could
come in contact with youth clubs and
the youth of America in general.
About a year ago our society, known
as the Ceylon America Youth Society,
was formed, its chief aim being to pro-
mote better understanding between the
youth of America and Ceylon. The So-
ciety has a mixed membership of over
three hundred members between the
ages of fifteen to thirty years. We
believe that our aims could be achieved
not only by personal contact [but] by
means of correspondence with each
other. We therefore invite youth clubs
and young Americans to write to us on
a people-to-people basis, thus creating
a closer bond between our two nations
and further to make this world a better
place to live on.
On behalf of the members of the Cey-
lon America Youth Society, I assure
you that we Ceylonese are eager to cor-
respond with you all and every one of
you will find many friends among us.
WINSTON L. MALAWANA, Honorary
Secretary, Ceylon America Youth
Society, G 14, Mangala Road, Man-
ning Town, Colombo 8, Ceylon.
Don't Turn Art into a Circus!
Sirs:
I am disturbed by the reporting in
your November issue of an art fair in
New Jersey under the title "Art Comes
to Main Street." The cause of my dis-
tress is epitomized by one of your pic-
ture captions (of people looking at
paintings) , which reads, in part, "don't
be influenced by the experts."
What is good recreation and I am
sure this art fair was is not neces-
sarily good art. And, judging from
your illustrations, this was not; yet
your "booster" approach implies that
they are the same thing. Now I do not
expect your magazine to provide art
criticism, and I agree that everyone has
a right to his own tastes: but I regret
your completely undiscriminating atti-
tude, as exemplified by the aforemen-
tioned quotation, as well as the contents
of most of the rest of the article.
The point may seem trivial. I rise
to it, however, because a similar trans-
formation of art exhibits into virtual
circuses in my city has been bad for art.
in my opinion, and in the opinion of
many working artists (as distinct from
suburban housewives who enamel cuff-
links). Don't get me wrong: amateur
art fairs can be good recreation, but the
implication that what's good for recre-
ation is good for art ("don't be influ-
enced by the experts": don't learn;
don't think; have fun) can lead only to
further mediocrity in intellectual and
artistic expression, of which we already
have more than enough.
WILLIAM FRIEDLANDER. Associate
Executive Secretary. Division on
Recreation and Informal Education,
Metropolitan Council of Metropoli-
tan Chicago, Chicago 2. Illinois.
Rotating Specialist
Sirs:
We must consider how we can have
"children's recreation planned by peo-
ple of training and vision, even profes-
sional training and broad vision" (as
envisioned by Karla V . Parker in
"These I Would Like. . ." RECREATION,
October). Specialization within the
field of recreation would be the answer.
... In the urban complex of today in-
stead of having a few children interested
in a given program you might have a
few thousand all over the city. A rec-
reation leader at a given area may be
able to fill this need at his area but at
other areas around the city the interest
of the leaders may differ: hence the
need will go unmet. Thus we see that
the recreation department should struc-
ture itself around needs; and, as those
needs become larger and more specific,
so should the structure put around that
4
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECREATION
THIS IS LEGAL - IS YOURS!
Where do you stand for legal serve? Are
your players using a legal bat? Learn more
about the greatest carry-over sport of them
all.
Send for "Table Tennis for You" 1
UNITED STATES TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION
202 Brookside Boulevard
Pittsburgh 34, Penna.
FOLDING TABLE LINE
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luckinc. super -.trenjih. c.i-\ sc.ninj!. <>X models and M/L-S
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Color pictures. Full line tables, chairs, table and chair trucks, plat-
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JAYFRO ATHLETIC SUPPLY CO.
Dept. R, Box 1065, NEW LONDON, CONN.
Keep 'em SINGING
with these all-time favorite
SONG SLIDES
wonderful hours of fun for
young and old alike
2" x 2" slides 50e/slide
3V 4 " x 4" slides 1.00/slide
WRITE FOR CATOLOCUE S
NATIONAL STUDIOS
42 West 48th Street
New York 36, N. Y.
JUdion 2-1926
need. The final outcome would be that
supervision of all personnel in the city
concerned with arts and crafts would be
under one person and the same for ath-
letics, dances, trips, and so on. This way
we could have "a program to fit their
needs in a world day by day growing
more complicated, built on knowledge
that is increasingly difficult for each one
of us, children and adults alike, to find
himself, his skills, his capacity for indi-
vidual expression."
The supervisor in the recreation de-
partment should be specialized in a
given program, such as tiny tots or the
like. He should not be confined to a
district within the city but should be
confined to an interest group within the
city (or a need group). Recreation
leaders will be specialized and will ro-
tate from area to area daily with their
special talent.
Needs or program are the work unit
of recreation, much the same as the nut
and bolt in the factory are the work
unit. You should structure your depart-
ment around the work unit and the most
efficient way to get it produced.
F. THOMAS, Senior Recreation Lead-
er, San Diego, California, Recreation
Department, Cabrillo Community
Center.
Clear Concept
Sirs :
The editorial "Concepts of Recrea-
tion" by C. Frank Brockman [October]
is the briefest, clearest statement on the
nature of recreation that I have read
or heard in some time. Mr. Brockman's
observations reminded me of some bits
of philosophy I picked up as a young
man when exposed to the late Lebert
Weir in the early twenties. He cata-
logued the great leisure-time interests in
a most logical fashion and then con-
cluded :
"If an all-wise Creator endowed each
of us with interests that impel us to
constructive activity, the least man can
do is provide the facilities and leader-
ship for these activities."
Mr. Brockman has expressed this
basic idea in most eloquent and con-
vincing fashion.
NATHAN L. MALLISON, Superinten-
dent of Recreation, Jacksonville, Flo-
rida.
Valuable
Sirs:
RECREATION Magazine has so im-
proved in its content in recent years
that I must write you and say how valu-
able we find it in this department. The
articles which have been selected bear
nearly always upon interests and prob-
lems of professional recreation person-
nel, and are exceedingly valuable in
improving the quality of community
recreation service. It seems to me that
one could base an in-service training
You can raise S 500
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Sell famous Mason
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your group can make
$300 to $2500.
For complete information fill in and mail
us the coupon shown. If you decide to go
ahead you don't risk a cent, you pay noth-
ing in advance. We supply on consignment
your choice of THREE VARIETIES of famous
Mason Candy. At no extra charge each
package is wrapped with a band printed
with your organization's name and picture.
You pay after you have sold the candy and
return what you don't sell. Candy is sold
at less than regular retail price. You make
$9.00 in net profit on every 30 sales of our
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30 sales of our $1.00 box (66%% profit to
you on cost). There's no risk! You can't lose.
Mail in coupon today for information about
MASON'S PROTECTED FUND RAISING DRIVES.
Mr. EDWIN STOYE, Dept. RM-1
Mason, Box 549, Mineola, N. Y.
Gentlemen: Please send me without
obligation, information on your Fund
Raising Plan.
(Check one)
I am interested in your ....
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Name
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Mason Candies, Inc., Mineola, L. I., N. Y.
JANUARY 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
EVERY RECREATION PROGRAM NEEDS THESE:
POPCORN/. COTTON CAN
easily
ADD
$5,000 ANNUAL PROFIT!
Hundreds of Recreation Departments own one or more of
these profit-making machines. Refreshments belong in all
Recreation Facilities. Accommodate the Public's desires and
make huge profits in the process. Write for complete catalog
and detailed brochures on how YOUR Department can easily
get Thousands of dollars every year.
308 E. THIRD STREET
GOLD MEDAL PRODUCTS CO.
CINCINNATI 2, OHIO
STORIES, CRAFTS AND SONGS
Recreational ideas for boys and girls in schools,
camps, playground, and recreational programs.
Send $1 for five different original stories with crafts
and song materials.
Story, Craft and Song Service
Box 567 Ottawa, Illinois
EXACT SHE
New, improved Golden Age Club Pin.
Now in real gold plat* with tree in
green jewelers' enamel. Softly catch.
50c each, including federal tax and
postage.
Minimum order 10 pins
Available only to authentic clubs.
JAMES SPENCER & CO.
22 N. 6th Strati Philadelphia 6, Pa.
Now you can
GO
where the events
take place
.and be heard!
WENGER PORTABLE BANDWAGON
The Mobile Combination Band Stand
and Outdoor Stage
Ideal for use at music events, rallies, acts, demonstra-
tions, and for speakers, the Wenger Bandwagon pro*
vides comfortable quarters for performers, plus assuring
resonance and volume for the audience. At site, the
Wenger Bandwagon opens in minutes into a generous
stage or outdoor theater, or a complete, scientifically
designed music shell for band, orchestra, or chorus.
After event, it folds quickly into a handsome, completely
enclosed road trailer with ample locked storage space for
chairs, stands, instruments, or accessory equipment. May
be used indoors, too! Every community will want onet
Send for complete details and specifications, or ask for
a free demonstration. No obligation, of course.
MUSIC EQUIPMENT CO.
O W ATON N/
MINNESOTA
program for department staff upon the
material which appears periodically in
RECREATION Magazine.
GEORGE HJELTE, General Manager,
Department of Recreation and Parks,
Los Angeles, California.
George Hjelte (above) is receiving
his thirty-year pin from Mrs. Kay Bo-
gendorfer, president of the Civil
Service Commission, in recognition
of his thirty years' hard-working serv-
ice to the City of Los Angeles, Calif.
Any New Ideas?
Sirs:
I am commencing a study on "New
Ideas in Recreational Sports." This
study. I hope, will furnish material for
class lectures in recreation leadership,
possibly some activity course research
in physical education, a class project
paper, and perhaps, if all goes well,
some sort of paper to share with other
recreation leaders over the country.
On hand I have about twenty new
ideas which have been gathered by
checking personally or by mail with
commercial concerns and recreation de-
partments over the United States. I
would like more, if possible. Therefore,
this is a plea to any public department,
private recreation agency, industrial
recreation department, service recrea-
tion department, hospital recreation de-
partment, or commercial concern (in
business to sell only) to send me details,
rules, pictures, etcetera of any new
game they have devised or used. If the
games are slanted toward use by the
handicapped, send those along also, as
I plan a follow-up later on this phase of
"gamery."
My report will, of course, give full
credit to the persons or organization
sending me the data. I will endeavor to
send all who wish a copy of my report
once it is finished.
ROBERT L. LOEFFELBEIN. Physical
Education Department. University of
Southern California, 3518 Univer-
sity Avenue, Los Angeles.
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECREATION
Editorial
WHICH
SYSTEM
SHALL
PREVAIL?
Frank Pace, Jr.
We have but to think back over the major changes that
have occurred in the world over the past ten years and to pon-
der on the swiftness of change today to realize how much of it
is before us as we look to the next ten years.
To mention only one aspect of our changing world, we
should remember that scarcely more than ten years ago our
country held unquestioned economic and military leadership
in the world. Red China was only just born, and our power as against that
of the Soviet was clearly preponderant.
The change that has occurred in this comfortable balance of power is
easy to perceive. Mr. Khrushchev's confident activities, Russian photographs
of the other side of the moon, and Mao's mobilization of China's millions
speak for themselves. They promise a future that will require the best that
is in us if we are to live on as a rich and powerful nation dedicated to the
ideals of freedom.
Thus we will have to be at our best if we are to survive. This means that
whether at work or at leisure we must occupy ourselves with worthy pursuits,
those that strengthen and refresh. An ancient Greek leader once said that a
man could be judged by the type of thing that captured his intent. In a period
of remarkable leisure our strength can be sapped by the lushness of our mate-
rial privileges and our abundance of leisure.
Our competitors for world leadership have made tremendous strides
through a system that budgets and closely supervises not only the productive
activities of their citizenry, but also their recreation pursuits and their private
thoughts. To me it seems apparent that the world of tomorrow will be an in-
finitely more complex place in which to live; a world that will place an in-
creasing premium on the knowledgeable man of subtle understanding.
In such an atmosphere, the free inquiring mind, of its nature, is clearly
superior to the product of any system of regimentation, provided its fullest
potential is realized. The abundant leisure provided by our brilliantly suc-
cessful economic system provides the people of the West with the greatest store
of means for individual self-improvement in the history of civilized man.
The next ten years will be the testing period in which it will be decided
which system will prevail. Our adversaries have already made sobering gains.
But the culture of the West, based on human desires and human dignity, can
lead the world to a new golden age of peace and prosperity if we use our re-
sources of time and wealth vigorously and wisely. #
MR. PACE is a former Secretary of the Army and former director of the Bureau of the
Budget. He is currently, among other things, a member of the executive board, Greater
New York Council of the Boy Scouts of America; a member of the President's Council
on Youth Fitness; a member of the national board of the Boys' Clubs of America; presi-
dent of the National Institute of Social Sciences. Mr. Pace is chairman of the board of
directors and chief executive officer of General Dynamics Corporation, New York City.
UNUARY 1960
Coming Up! The 1960 Congress
Get your suggestions for the 1960 National Recrea-
tion Congress Program in now! The recently appointed
Program Planning Committee includes: Thomas W.
Lantz, chairman, R. Foster Blaisdell, Milo F. Christian-
sen, Anne L. New, Lillian Summers, and Willard B.
Stone, secretary. You can send your suggestions di-
rectly to Mr. Stone at the National Recreation Congress,
8 West Eighth Street, New York 11, or give them to
anyone you know on the committee.
The recent meeting of the Congress Policy Committee in Washington,
D. C., approved the appointment of the Program Planning Committee mem-
bers and adopted the Congress theme: "Recreation in America Today and
Tomorrow."
Also approved was the idea of setting up an advisory committee to the
Program Planning Committee. Members of this committee will be an-
nounced soon.
Meanwhile, reserve the date: September 26-30, 1960, the Shoreham Ho-
tel. Washington, D. C.
-VVI iri-l-: I K >
More About the White House
Conference on Children and Youth
The accompanying symbol for the
Golden Anniversary White House Con-
ference on Child-
ren and Youth was
designed by one of
the world's largest
advertising agen-
cies, J. Walter
Thompson, in New
York City. Use of
the symbol indi-
cates that "we are participating in the
Golden Anniversary White House Con-
ference on Children and Youth, March
27 to April 2, 1960.
Mrs. Rollin Brown, National Recre-
ation Association board member and
chairman of the President's National
Committee for the Conference, an-
nounced that the seven thousand invi-
tations to participate in the conference
will be issued by President Eisenhower
on January 10, 1960.
Organized labor is supporting the
conference to the tune of a ten-thou-
sand-dollar gift from the AFL-CIO. The
presentation was made by AFL-CIO
vice-president Peter T. Schoemann, a
member of the President's National
8
Committee of the conference, and Wil-
liam F. Schnitzler, AFL-CIO secretary-
treasurer, on behalf of George Meany
(see Page 14). Ephraim Gomberg,
conference executive director, accepted
the check in a brief Washington cere-
mony.
> NEW YORK CITY'S MAMMOTH COLI-
SEUM was the setting for the December
meeting of the National Swimming
Pool Institute. It was claimed to be
"the most comprehensive display of
swimming pools, equipment, and acces-
sories ever assembled." In addition,
the NSPI presented six seminars for
persons whose work brings them in di-
rect contact with swimming pools. One
seminar was conducted under the aus-
pices of the National Recreation Asso-
ciation and run by Al Cukierski, direc-
tor of recreation in Garden City, New
York.
> THE 1960 WINTER OLYMPICS will
take place in Squaw Valley, Lake Ta-
hoe, California, February 18-28. You
can obtain a complete guide to the
games including a map, housing ap-
plication, ticket application, and vari-
ous kinds of useful information from
the 1960 Olympic Winter Games, 333
Market Street, San Francisco 5.
> WANTED: play wagons, show- wagons,
playmobiles, roving playgrounds, play-
go-rounds, rambling theaters, stagemo-
biles, zoomobiles. If you have any of
these facilities and are using them,
please send pictures, specifications, and
descriptions of their use. We would
like to have up-to-date information.
Send all information to Siebolt Fries-
wyk, Program Service, National Rec-
reation Association, 8 West Eighth
Street, New York 11.
> RECREATION RESEARCH PROJECTS
completed or published in 1959 can be
included in the National Recreation As-
sociation's annual listing only if we
know about them. So. please, any in-
dividual or organization who completed
any such research, send word to George
Butler at the Association, 8 West Eighth
Street, New York 11. Forms for sub-
mitting such information on projects
are available on request from the As-
sociation.
^ A SERIES OF ARTICLES describing the
work of the NRA Consulting Service on
Recreation for the 111 and Handicapped
in nursing homes for the aged and the
aged infirm has been running in the
New York Journal American in the
"Life Begins at Forty" column. Author
Robert Peterson describes the spirit-
sapping conditions existing in most of
these homes and what the Consulting
Service is doing and plans to do about
them. He gives the NRA a big hand
and full credit right down the line.
> THE CONSULTING SERVICE, in con-
junction with the School of Education
of New York University, is holding an
institute January 21-22. Subject is
"Recreation: a Dynamic in Rehabilita-
tion." For further information, write
to: Mrs. Beatrice Hill, director, Con-
sulting Service on Recreation for the 111
and Handicapped, National Recreation
Association, 8 West Eighth Street, "Vu
York 11, or to Dr. Edith Ball, School
of Education. New York University.
Washington Square East, New York 3.
> THE CONSULTING SERVICE also has its
fingers in another seminar, this one at
Teachers College, Columbia University.
New York City, where Dr. Elizabeth!
Rosen will give one on recreation fur
the emotionally disturbed, in coopera-
tion with the Consulting Service. It i>
particularly aimed at teachers, iiroiip
workers, and recreation leaders work-3
inj; with the mentally ill in hospitals.
special schools, and institutions. For!
all information about costs, credits, reg-
istration dates, and so on, write Dr.
Rosen. Box 70, Department of Health.
Physical Education, and Recreatior
Teachers College. Columbia I'niversil
New York 27, New York. #
RECREATIOr
FEDERAL ACTION AND LEGISLATION
The 86th Congress during its first
session passed a number of bills affect-
ing recreation. Among the more signi-
ficant legislation were bills to:
Amend Section I of the June 14, 1926,
Act, which authorizes acquisition or
use of public lands by states, counties,
or municipalities for recreation pur-
poses, to provide that that such convey-
ances shall not be subject to the 640-
acre limitation if the land is to be used
for public recreation purposes. P.L.
86-292, 9/21/59 (S-1436)
Authorize exchange of certain lands
in the vicinity of Everglades City, Flor-
ida, to permit development of Ever-
glades National Park and provide for
addition of certain donated lands to the
park. P.L. 86-269, 9/14/59 (S-2390)
Authorize the Secretary of the Inte-
rior to carry on comprehensive study of
migratory marine fish of value to rec-
reation fishermen to develop sound
management and conservation pro-
grams. The measure authorizes an an-
nual appropriation of a whopping $2,-
700.000 for research investigations.
P.L. 86-359. 9/22/59 (H.R. 5004)
Amend the so-called Pesticide Re-
search Act. passed in 1958, to increase
from $280.000 to $2,565,000 annually
the amount spent on studies of effects
of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides,
and other pesticides upon fish and wild-
life. P.L. 86-279, 9/16/59 (S-1575)
Inter-Agency Recreation
Conference
The 8th Annual Conference of the
State Inter-Agency Committees on Rec-
reation will be held in Washington,
B.C., May 25-27. William M. Hay,
Southern district representative of the
National Recreation Association, will
act as secretary. Mr. Hay will also act
as assistant executive secretary of the
Federal Inter-Agency Committee on
Recreation during the leave of absence
of George Dickie from January to
March.
Access to Public Lands
The Bureau of Land Management is
conducting a survey to determine to
what extent "cut-offs" by private land
owners interfere with the access to pub-
lic recreation lands in the West. This
augments efforts of the Forest Service
which has been trying to solve the ac-
cess problem for several years. In many
Western areas, ranchers and other pri-
vate enterprises staked out land claims
long before the government acquired
large holdings of public land.
The government is seeking agree-
ments with the private owners to as-
sure access to these large blocks of rec-
reation lands. If necessary, according
to Edward Woozley, director of the Bu-
reau of Land Management, "The Gov-
ernment can institute condemnation
proceedings to obtain access routes
across private land." In a policy state-
ment, the Interior Department said
such condemnation would be used,
"but only after" the bureau had been
frustrated in obtaining rights-of-way
"through more acceptable methods of
negotiation and cooperation."
Recreation in Forest Lands
The Forest Service's recently organ-
ized research center at Warren, Penn-
sylvania, will study outdoor recreation
in the Northeast as well as wildlife hab-
itat, forest management, and multiple
use of forest land. The center, first of
its kind in the nation, was created be-
cause of rapidly growing demands for
recreation use of forest lands, both pub-
lic and private. Such recreation re-
search is especially pressing in the
Northeast where every day more people
with more leisure time are turning to
outdoor activities.
Researchers at Warren and in nearby
Pennsylvania and New York areas will
tackle the many problems involved in
forest recreation. They will try to find
out how camping, hiking, picnicking,
hunting, and fishing, and other outdoor
activities fit into the concept of mul-
tiple use of forest lands and how one
activity can harmonize with another. $:
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JANUARY 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
Editorially Speaking
Dorothy Donaldson
Things to Stress in the New Decade
America, if it is not to lag behind
other world powers in today's race for
a place in the sun, must help its children
develop into well-balanced and strong
citizens the leaders of tomorrow. In
this situation, recreation leaders are be-
ing called upon to play a vital part.
Among the many things, therefore, that
recreation departments must stress in
the new decade are:
Good Leadership -This comes first of
all, for it is the key to good recreation,
something we cannot do without. You
can have a good program without fa-
cilities if you have good leadership; but
even with the most beautiful facilities
in the world you can't have a really
good program if you don't have good
leadership.
Constructive Leisure The present clar-
ion call from our halls of learning is
for more emphasis on technical and
scientific subjects. In the demand for
technical specialists, educators are, in
some measure, overlooking the need for
architects, designers, artists, and so on
to work with the mathematicians and
engineers.
This leaves the challenge of educa-
tion-for-leisure squarely on the door-
step of our leisure-time leaders. From
them must come the stimulation of in-
terest for creative activities and the arts
activities for the soul, the mind, the
spirit of man and those activities re-
lated to health and character building,
all so necessary for balanced living.
We will need, therefore, the best and
finest recreation leaders we can get.
leaders with training, sensitivity, initia-
tive, and vision. Such leaders will not
be afraid to plan, will have the heart
and the courage to put their plans into
effect. We must stress the very best
training for recreation leadership; we
must adhere to the highest standards.
Education for Leisure We must edu-
cate the general public to the impor-
tance of constructive recreation in our
rapidly expanding leisure time; and of
the importance of recreation literacy,
so that this leisure can enrich individual
lives and through these our society and
our nation.
For there is bad recreation, too, and
people must be educated to tell the dif-
ference between the good and the bad.
They must be given standards to mea-
sure recreation by ; they must recognize
good recreation and know why it is
good and what its value are. There is
a great need for an ethics of leisure.
The public must realize that, by par-
ticipating in constructive leisure activ-
ities, they are not "fiddling while Rome
burns," that recreation is not a frill.
People must be more knowledgeable
about recreation, if this great new lei-
sure is to mean anything and who is
to make them so?
Development of Individuals We must
also keep our eyes open for potential
leaders among our young, and for the
gifted, and help them develop their tal-
ents and gifts. Sherwood Gates wrote
in RECREATION, in June 1958,* "Where,
I ask you, can the creative aptitudes
and abilities, and the leadership pro-
clivities of children be discovered, en-
couraged, and exercised more readily
and effectively than in their freely chos-
en recreation activities? If freedom and
democracy are to prevail, we must find
and use talents and skills of all kinds
in the decades ahead."
In the light of all of this, we must
stress the great importance of individ-
ual recreation and plan our programs
with the individual, and the individual's
needs, interests, growth, and develop-
ment ever in mind. There, perhaps, has
been too much stress on "togetherness"
and not enough on what the individual,
the non joiner can accomplish, create,
contribute to today's society.
* Mr. Gates is chief of education, Libraries
and Community Services Branch, U. S. De-
partment of the Air Force.
A Plea for Apartness*
Drugged with the togetherness hap-
piness pill, are we losing track of the
important fact that each human being
inhabits a separate world of his own?
And if he is to inhabit that world suc-
cessfully, there are many thing he must
do alone and on his own? . . .
One can and does see . . . charm-
ing youngsters planning a picnic or en-
joying a barbecue, or looking at TV, or
going to the movies, or swimming at
the beach, sun-tanned and carefree. But
one cannot, by any stretch of an elastic
imagination, think of them apart, as
separate and distinct individuals, going
their separate ways to read a book,
paint a picture, invent a gadget, write
a poem or even just to sulk. . . .
The solitude demanded for creative
and intellectual effort, the search for
self, needed for real emotional and spir-
itual growth, obviously just isn't in the
cards for this amiable group of "look-
alike" youngsters. . . .
Even a young child needs to sit back
from life now and then and let his ex-
periences soak in. to judge their value
and his reactions to them. How can he
ever do this if he is constantly plucked
and snatched from one activity to an-
other? How can anyone who is never
alone learn to evaluate himself and to
continue the evaluation in the light of
new living? . . .
This nation was born, let us not for-
get, in rebellion and revolution, con-
ceived by men of independent mind and
adventurous spirit who questioned old
ideas and attitudes, thought boldly and
acted boldly. . . . We need to provide
our children with opportunities for
growth and independence so that they
too can become individuals in their own
right. That's what constructive apart-
ness means to me.
Something to Think Ahout
In 1956, there were four times as
many children killed in streets or on
highways than by all the leading child-
hood diseases put together. In 1957,
there were 410 children killed and 15,-
560 injured; in 1958, there were 530
killed and 19,910 injured while plininf.
in the street (Metropolitan Life Insur-
ance Company statistics) .
* Dorothy K. While, in Even-woman's, Feb-
ruary 1958.
10
RECREATION
Five of the courts at Memorial Park
Tennis Center. Note night lighting.
Memorial Park Swimmirig Pool. Houston has scheduled five major
swimming pools for completion in next two years to meet growing need.
A
PATTERN
FOR
ACTION
Telecast at the zoo. Lively commentary on various animals is
periodically worked into one of Houston's morning TV shows.
Gus H. Haycock
HOUSTON'S EXTRAORDINARY GROWTH in population and
area the past few years has created an almost over-
whelming demand for expanded recreation facilities
and programs. Each city has its complexities directly af-
fecting the complicated job of providing the most suitable
municipal recreation program under the conditions existing
in each specific city and with funds made available for this
purpose. Houston is expanding vigorously as are many
other cities on the Gulf Coast, with new industries continu-
ing to locate here, in addition to the cotton, cattle, and oil
business already here. Its deep-water port is second in ton-
nage in the United States, naturally accelerating all facets
and functions of the city and its responsibilities.
Perhaps a few comparisons of Houston today with Hou-
ston five years ago will point up some of these complexities.
Although a 135 percent increase in land area and a 33 per-
cent increase in population in the last five years is consider-
able and has placed a heavy burden on the city, the parks
and recreation department has been able to secure an 88 per-
cent increase in total budget. The recreation division has
had a 29 percent budget increase. The budget includes only
operating expenditures for the department. Capital im-
MR. HAYCOCK is director of the parks and recreation de-
partment in Houston, Texas.
JANUARY 1960
provements are made from park improvement bond funds,
$9,000,000 of which have been approved and allocated for
this purpose in the past five years, half already spent.
Influenced by a setting that contains many natural bar-
riers that interrupt traffic flow, and located near large nat-
ural recreation areas and resources (within forty miles of
the Gulf of Mexico), Houston's most pressing needs have
been best satisfied by concentrating on the acquisition and
development of neighborhood park sites of from five to fif-
teen acres.
An analysis of the accompanying statistics will show some
of the progress Houston has made in this direction. Al-
though park acreage increased by 57 percent, the number of
parks increased by 47 percent. Newly acquired parks are
partially developed very quickly after acquisition. Picnic
tables, barbecue pits, playground equipment, and ball fields
are immediately placed on the park site after the completion
of such preliminary work as is required (clearing and grad-
ing) . Thus, the number of major ball fields has increased
51 percent while the number of lighted ball fields has in-
creased by 86 percent. Picnic tables and barbecue pits for
these new areas have increased by 90 percent, playground
equipment by 52 percent, and landscaped parks by 48 per-
cent.
The development of major facilities has been primarily
11
FIVE YEARS IN HOUSTON
1954
1959
Population
714,000
950,000
Total Department Budget
(Parks, Recreation, Zoo, Golf Courses)
$1,108,596
$2,082,025
Recreation Division Budget
$440,215
$569,249
Land Area in City Limits
150 sq. mi.
325 sq. mi.
Number of Parks
87
128
Total Park Acreage
2,753
4,330
Neighborhood Recreation-Center Buildings
with year-round program
28
36
Swimming Pools
11 (incl. 2 school pools)
35 (incl. 16 school pools)
Ball Fields (Major)
59
89
Lighted Ball Fields
29
54
Schools used full-time during summer months
17
26
Recreation Staff (complete)
312
331
Recreation Staff (full-time)
60
74
confined to construction of neighborhood recreation-center
buildings, eight of which were constructed and placed in
operation last year, all air-conditioned. A 25 percent in-
crease in this type of facility gives Houston a neighborhood
recreation center building for each twenty-nine thousand
residents. In addition to these, ground-breaking ceremonies
were held on November 20, 1959, for the construction of a
half-million dollar downtown recreation-center building,
which will be completely air-conditioned, with a seating
capacity for 1,800, and which will serve as a district or re-
gional center in our program. This building will include
two major gymnasiums in addition to rooms for arts and
crafts, golden-age groups, and social recreation. All rec-
reation-center buildings are used for a full-time, year-round,
supervised recreation program and are designed to meet the
needs of a well-rounded and balanced recreation program
for the entire community and for all age groups.
A typical program in one of the neighborhood recreation
center buildings during this time of year would be as fol-
lows: preschool (for children four to six years of age) two
mornings each week; cake decorating one morning each
week; garden-club meeting one morning each week; one
baton-twirling class for preteens and one for teen-agers each
week; a square dance, round dance, or couple dance for
preteens, for teen-agers, and for adults each week; three
league basketball games each week; one civic-club meeting
each week ; a Boy Scout and Girl Scout meeting each week.
The remainder of the time would be utilized by free play.
During the summer the department operates a recreation
program in twenty-six schools in addition to the programs
at its own thirty-six year-round centers. This program is
in operation from 8 A.M. until 5 P.M. during weekdays for
three months. The program is similar to that of the neigh-
borhood centers. Schools are chosen so they fit into the
geographical pattern with the neighborhood recreation cen-
ters. In this manner it is possible to cover the entire city
with a well-balanced summer program.
In order that this program be continued. Houston has
tentatively allocated funds (from park-improvement bond
funds approved by vote in September) for the construction
of the following: five neighborhood recreation-center build-
ings; two regional recreation-center buildings: five major
swimming pools; thirty tennis courts and two tennis cen-
ters; ten neighborhood shelter buildings; thirty lighted ball
fields; and ten concrete outdoor basketball courts. These
are scheduled for completion within the next two years.
The above statistics reflect none of the major improve-
ments made in the golf or zoo division during the past five
years, nor the proposed projects for the next two years.
However, they do reflect the type and scope of program to
which the recreation division devotes much of its time. As
we enter the new decade the challenge is to keep up this
pace and provide a well-rounded recreation program with
proper, adequate personnel and facilities that will be an asset
to the community and mold our citizens into happier and
better adjusted individuals. #
M
unicipal planning is often condemned by the uninformed as visionary and impractical. It is
confused with starry-eyed dreaming. Planning, on the contrary, is merely facing facts. It is
advance thinking which recognizes that conditions seldom remain static for long. Change is
inevitable, and he is wisest who anticipates the trends of the times and prepares for them to
the best of his ability. Intelligent foresight is employed by business organizations in working
out successful programs. Methods which have proved effective for the individual components
of urban society should also be turned to advantage of those individuals acting collectively
as a city. CLAUDE J. DAVIS in Municipal Planning in West Virginia (Bureau for Govern-
ment Research, West Virginia University.)
12
RECREATION
This is the type of neigh-
borhood recreation
center built in 1940' s.
,Mfr'
This is a neighborhood
center constructed
in the early 1950' s.
'^ggf ,;M ^^^^J^MJ^^,^^ 'STiif
Garden Villas Park center
finished in 1959
shows modern transition.
Another 1959 center has
Quonset roof, slatted
ends, is open on sides.
JANUARY 1960
13
WHAT IS EXPECTEE
.BY LABOR
George Meany
Seldom has any segment of the American social-welfare
field been presented with challenges as profound as those
now facing organized recreation. The solutions to many of
our most crucial social problems are currently being sought
in that area.
The spotlight of public attention is on recreation services
and facilities, paving the way to greater public understand-
ing of the aims of recreation and opening an avenue to in-
creased support for sweeping changes and experimental ap-
proaches. The manner in which recreation measures up to
these challenges and opportunities may well make the next
ten years the most significant decade in the history of the
recreation movement.
MR. MEANY is president of the AFL-CIO and has been a un-
ion man all his life, starting as the son of a trade unionist.
On August 9, 1957, President Eisenhower nominated him
as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations General Assembly,
the first time a labor leader has been so honored.
BY MANAGEMENT
Rudolph F. Bannow
14
Management is counting heavily upon recreation activi-
ties to adjust to the changes that are taking place in the
American way of life, and the ways in which Americans
earn their livings. Nothing is more important to the physi-
cal and emotional health of the men and women of industry
than proper recreation activities.
So important is this considered that few modern com-
panies would consider locating a new plant or facility in a
community without first surveying its recreation possibili-
ties. Management knows that, in seeking competent and
gifted personnel, its ability to attract and hold the men and
women it wants often is decided by the little theater, the park
system, or the Little League. The intelligent person indus-
try desires as an employee is certain to insist upon living
in a comhiunity worthy of his family.
Industry now spends over eight hundred million dollars
each yeat on recreation in and out of its plants. Many
MR. BANNOW is national president of the National As-
sociation of Manufacturers and president of the Bridgeport
Machine Company. He is currently, among other activities,
trustee of the Bridgeport YMCA, a director of the Crippled
Children's Bureau and of the United Fund of Bridgeport.
RECREATION
In The Next Ten Years
OF RECREATION
The labor movement, as a pioneer in, and a supporter of,
social welfare, would like to suggest three areas on which
recreation must concentrate to meet the challenge of the
times. First is the need for recreation for the growing num-
bers of older citizens. The increase in our aging population,
the shift from a predominantly rural to an urban society,
and the ability of many millions of mass-production workers
to retire because of pension programs all these factors de-
mand the time and attention of organized recreation. Just
as the AFL-CIO Community Service Activities have made
retirement planning a priority program this year, recrea-
tion, too, must consider this nation's older people as top pri-
ority in the next decade.
At the other end of the scale is the youth of America, who
should also be a prime focus of the recreation movement.
It is evident from today's headlines that the special needs
of our young people are not being adequately met. Organ-
ized recreation must initiate bold, new programs and re-
shape its existing services if it is to play an important part
in the prevention of juvenile delinquency. In addition, rec-
reation can help to improve the physical fitness of our youth,
a subject receiving national attention through the work of
the President's Council on Youth Fitness.
Finally, we must consider the increase in leisure time
for the American worker that will result from the shorter
workweek that is sure to come. Part of this leisure time will
fall within the province of recreation.
It is the hope of the American Federation of Labor and
Congress of Industrial Organizations that labor can work
side by side with recreation in these areas and others as
well. It is our hope also that through the facilities of the
AFL-CIO Community Services Activities, cooperative pro-
grams can be developed at the community level. For it is
in the community that recreation programs are most likely
to succeed recreation that is wanted, provided, and sup-
ported by the people themselves. :$:
companies offer a wide variety of after-hour activities and
some even provide programs for lunchtime and piped-in
music during working hours. Besides supporting recreation
activities for employees, industry heavily supports com-
munity activities open to all.
But yesterday's plans will not cover tomorrow's needs.
The decentralization of cities and the changing nature of
work and of the work force will present new problems. The
migration from the cities, for example, confronts us with
a need to offer recreation to replace the commercial kinds
of recreation left behind in the metropolis. If this is not
done, the employees who leave the cities for smaller com-
munities may feel that they have lost heavily in the move.
Some familiar kinds of recreation theater, big-league
baseball, four-channel TV may not be transplanted, but
other forms of recreation can be substituted, and many who
move may find themselves happier as participants than they
were as spectators.
Progress in our factories has eliminated much hard labor,
and has "upgraded" millions of the work force by employ-
ing their minds rather than their muscles. It also has en-
abled us to shorten the workday and the workweek, afford-
IANUARY 1960
ing more time for outside activity. The result has been that
Americans have become more active, physically and men-
tally, in their play. The ever-rising level of education is
causing a great growth of the cultural forms of recreation.
I would expect to see rapid growth of amateur music and
drama groups, art and photography clubs, literary and phil-
osophical societies, and other such activities, which have
shown rapid growth in recent years. There is a definite
trend to study as recreation, and established recreation in-
stitutions are providing the necessary space and instructors
in many localities.
Those in recreation fields may find that their jobs will
call for catering to a wider variety of individual tastes be-
cause we are abandoning the illusion of a "mass culture"
and recognizing that creative individuality is to be encour-
aged.
Thus, American recreation will serve the opposite from
the mass gymnastic program of our Communist rivals. Our
emphasis will be upon individual development and competi-
tiveness in all forms of recreation; characteristics that will
allow each citizen to realize his greatest possibilities and
allow our society to be best served by its members. #
15
Wherem the author takes a highly controversial
position . . . What do you, the reader, think?
Careful reading will help you know how to
strengthen your art activities.
Howard Conant
CREATIVE ART TEACHING
IN RECREATION PROGRAMS
The author began his art teaching
career in the public recreation pro-
gram in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In
subsequent years he has developed a
deep and abiding interest in the teach-
ing of art in many types of recreation
centers. In a very real sense, there-
fore, the criticisms made here are
"within the family" of recreation
workers, and are in no way intended
as snobbish. The author has decided
to lay his professional cards on the
table, honestly and forthrightly. He
believes that such a confrontation, with
possibly displeasing statements, is
made imperative by many factors,
among which one of the most impor-
tant is the rapidly increasing threat
of conformism and cultural mediocrity
with which individuals are faced in
contemporary society.
THE CASCADE of books and maga-
zines being published today has
caused many professionals to
feel frustrated and overwhelmed. How-
ever, it is possible that teachers of art
(including arts-and-crafts leaders) are
unusually deficient in their familiarity
with the literature of art, art educa-
tion, and education. This is caused
by many factors: among them the
great amout of time necessitated by
DR. CONANT is professor and chairman,
Department of Art Education, New
York University, and former director
of The Children's Creative Art Founda-
tion, New York City.
16
such day-to-day duties as supply order-
ing and clean-up; the tendency to read
only in one's extremely specific field
of interest, as enameling, for instance;
a lack of knowledge of art education
philosophy and psychology; and a re-
grettable absence of the desire to read
continually, which only a few high
schools and liberal arts colleges have
been able to develop in their graduates.
Many who offer guidance in art ac-
tivities in recreation programs have
not had college-level preparation in
teaching or in art, but have developed
an avocational interest in some realm
of the arts through an adult education
program, or a friend said, "Why don't
you try it?", as a result of past ex-
perience in some art activity in school
or camp. A few art-activity leaders
learned their "subject" by reading a
how-to-do-it book or article. With
rare exception, people who have come
into positions of art-activity leader-
ship by one of these or related means
are, by the standards of professional
art education, not well qualified for
such work. They may, indeed, be do-
ing more harm than good by passing
on to others their recipes for making
various "art" objects.
Art is a strange, even bewildering,
subject. Nearly everyone knows that
what he likes he believes to be art;
and nearly everyone is offended when
a professional artist or art educator
tel's him that such preferences are
usually outside the hard-to-define
realm of the arts. As Andre Malraux
has asked: "What is it. then, that is
shared by the communion whose medi-
eval half-darkness fills the cathedral
naves and by the seal that the Egyp-
tian groupings stamped upon immen-
sity? What is it that is common to all
forms that, in their turn, have cap-
tured some portion of the inapprehen-
sible? They impose or insinuate the
presence of another world. Not nec-
essarily an inferno or a paradise, not
even a world after death, but a present
beyond. For all of them, to different
degrees, the real is appearance: and
RECREATION
something else exists which is not ap-
pearance."
Somewhat related to the presumptu-
ous, but often naively innocent, know-
what-I-like attitude toward art is the
belief, unfortunately supported by end-
less pieces of pseudoprofessional lit-
erature, which asserts that "anyone
can draw," "y u > too, can be an art-
ist," and so on. It is perfectly under-
standable, therefore, that adults even
might go one step further in faulty
logic, by thinking that "anyone can
teach art," at least to children in rec-
reation programs where it matters less
if you don't know all the answers be-
cause it's "not a real school."
To clarify any misunderstandings in
the light of the above, let us state a
few principles which are more or less
widely accepted by leading profession-
als in the closely related fields of art,
art education, and education:
Most people do not know anything
about art, but know what they like;
and what they like is seldom art. They
could learn to understand the arts
through education.
Not everyone can be an artist, not
anybody can paint (or draw, or model
in clay), unless by these terms one
means "do something in paint, or
clay," with little reference to quality.
Many people (youngsters and
adults) can develop considerable artis-
tic proficiency. A few can develop pro-
fessional or near-professional skill;
but in both cases, considerable time and
patience, coupled with the finest crea-
tive teaching is necessary. And the
fact still remains that art is much more
than mere fun, and learning to pro-
duce this very rare commodity is nei-
ther quick nor easy.
One does not learn to teach art crea-
tively and effectively, merely by read-
ing a book, taking a course, "profes-
sionalizing" a hobby. Four years of
full-time, intensive college study, with
a major in art and art education, is
considered minimal.
Creative art teaching is not just let-
ting participants do what they please.
It is a special kind of highly skilled
teaching which requires at least five
or six years of professional prepara-
tion and experience. It is infinitely
more complex, time requiring, and
arduous than the usual kind of con-
ventional teaching with which most of
us are familiar.
Art is a type of experience and the
product of such experience which is
unique and extremely high in quality.
It is unusally rare, on a level of human
expression seldom achieved. It con-
tributes richly to our culture and is
essential to the continuance of civiliza-
tion.
The experiences and products of
such experiences resulting from how-
to-do-it, short-cut, and pseudo-art ac-
tivities (such as predesigned mosaic
kits, numbered painting sets, assemble-
your-own precut belt kits, and imitate-
the-teacher-or-his-patterns) are decid-
edly not art, since they are neither
unique nor high in quality. Stereotyped,
pseudo-art experiences and products
do nothing to improve our culture or
strengthen our civilization. In fact,
they probably weaken our culture by
diluting it.
The "art" experiences and resulting
products in most recreation groups
(and adult education) classes in draw-
ing, ceramics, painting, jewelry, enam-
eling, woodworking, sculpture, weav-
ing, leatherwork, and photography
are little better than the experience of
assembling the parts of a jig-saw puz-
zle. Also unfortunate is the fact that
most participants are led to believe
that the amateurish products of their
SLOW ME DOWN, LORD
VFIVE ME, amidst the confusion of my day, the
calmness of the everlasting hills. Break the tension
of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music of
the singing streams that live in my memory. Help me
to know the restorative power of sleep. Teach me the
art of taking minute vacations of slowing down to
look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to pat a dog, to
read a few lines from a good book.
J\EMIND ME each day of the fable of the hare and
the tortoise, that I may know the race is not always
to the swift; that there is more in life than increasing
its speed. Let me look upward to the branches of
the towering oak, and know that it grew strong be-
cause it grew slowly and well.
LOW ME DOWN, Lord, and inspire me to send my
roots deep into the soil of life's enduring values, that
1 may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.
Amen. DR. WILLIAM H. ANDERSON.
JANUARY 1960
17
classwork can be regarded as art. They
(particularly adults) are encouraged
to display it in their homes, enter it in
art exhibitions, even sell it to fellow
classmates or unsuspecting "laymen."
With a few exceptions, participants
in the type of pseudo-art classes de-
scribed above would be well-advised to
re-enroll in an activity in which they
might gain really worthwhile informa-
tion or practical skills, such as: the
study of the subject of art (modern,
Renaissance, 19th Century, Greek, and
Roman) ; the study of interior design,
community planning, industrial de-
sign, and so forth, aimed at improved
consumer knowledge ; and such courses
as home management, child care, cook-
ing, sewing, electricity in the home, the
use of simple tools, and other practical
activities.
The foregoing principles are stated
honestly, as a warning against cultural
decay and increased individual super-
ficiality. They are presented straight-
forwardly, in the manner of a physi-
cian who points out the dangers of
certain home medical practices or by
a scientist who warns us of the dangers
of amateur rocketry or the making of
explosives. These principles do more
or less represent the thinking of lead-
ing professional artists, art educators,
and general educators of many years'
experience.
Strengthen Your Art Activities
First there is no pat or simple an-
swer to this.
Some elements of the answer are
contained in the foregoing portions of
this article. A significant, and possibly
not widely known, fact is that many ele-
mentary- and secondary -school and col-
lege art teachers are interested in part-
time employment, not only to increase
their incomes but to offer much-needed
professional service to the field of rec-
reation.
A nucleus of the most significant lit-
erature (see list at end of article) of
art, art education, and education
should be read by art-activity leaders
and program directors of recreation
programs.
Stop the purchase and use of these
kits, patterns, and related materials,
which are not only harmful to partici-
pants' creative growth and are further
diluting our already watered-down
culture, but which are also more ex-
pensive than the art materials used in
creative teaching.
Replace, rather than try to convert,
art-activity leaders who rely upon
stereotyped teaching methods, kits, or
manuals. Secure the part-time services
of school or college art teachers or, if
funds permit, secure a full-time art
educator as teacher-director.
Realize that creative art activities
include tangible, useful, take-home
products just as extensively as those
abounding in old-fashioned, stereo-
typed arts and crafts activities. As a
matter of historic fact, tangible, useful
art products originated in the legiti-
mate arts. Only in recent decades have
they been standardized and made into
projects by arts-and-crafts teachers and
kit manufacturers.
It is likely that a careful examina-
tion of the highest aims of the recrea-
tion profession would show a philoso-
phic kinship with the highest aims of
art education which, in brief, are
centered about a theory of esthetically
oriented creative-art teaching. Like
the field of recreation as a whole, art
education strives for the best possible
quality of performance, not in super-
ficial skills or by means of sure-fire
short cuts, but through patience, under-
standing, continuing study, and in-
creasingly capable leadership. Just as
art educators should heed the advice of
recreation specialists who tell them a
life of all work and no play is ill-advised
and of the need for recreation to be con-
structive as well as entertaining, so in
turn, recreation leaders and program
executives should give careful attention
to the suggestions of responsible art
educators who evaluate the weaknesses,
strengths, dangers, and values of art ele-
ments of recreation programs. #
Suggested for Reference
ESTHETICS AND CRITICISM :
Beam, Philip C., The Language of Art. Ronald Press: New York
(1958).
Faure, Elie, The Spirit of the Forms. Harper: New York (1930).
Focillon, Henri, The Li/e of Forms in Art. Yale University Press:
New Haven (1942).
Gardner, Helen, Understanding the Arts. Harcourt, Brace: New
York (1932).
ART EDUCATION:
Bland, Jane Cooper, Art of the Young Child. Museum of Modern
Art: New York (1957).
Conant, Howard and Randall, Arne, Art in Education. Charles Ben-
nett: Peoria, 111. (1959).
D'Amico, Victor, Creative Teaching in Art (rev. ed) . International
Textbook: Scranton, Pa. (1954).
Faulkner, Ray; Ziegfeld, Edwin; Hill, Gerald, Art Today (3rd ed).
Henry Holt: New York (1956).
DESIGN :
Bassett, Kendall T., and Thurman, Arthur B. (in collaboration with
Victor D'Amico), How to Make Objects with Wood. Museum of
Modern Art: New York (1951).
Duncan, Julia Hamlin and D'Amico, Victor, How to Make Pottery
and Ceramic Sculpture. International Textbook: Scranton, Pa.
(1947).
Emerson, Sybil, Design: A Creative Approach. International Text-
book: Scranton, Pa. (1953).
Johnson, Pauline, Creating with Paper. University of Washington
Press: Seattle (1958).
Kaufmann, Edgar Jr., What Is Modern Design? Museum of Modern
Art: New York (1950).
'Long, Lois Culver, Ceramic Decoration. American Art Clay Co.:
Indianapolis (1958).
Lord, Lois, Collage and Construction. Davis Publications: Worcester.
Mass. (1958).
'Mattil, Edward L., Meaning in Crafts. Prentice-Hall: Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey (1959).
Nelson, George, Editor, Chairs. Whitney Publications: New York
(1953).
Newhall, Beaumont and Nancy, Masters of Photography. George
Braziller: New York (1958).
Riley, Olive L., Masks and Magic. Studio Crowell : New York ( 1955) .
Winebrenner, D. Kenneth, Jewelry Making as an Art Express/an.
International Textbook: Scranton, Pa. (1953).
DRAWING AND GRAPHIC ARTS:
Heller, Jules, Print Making Today. Henry Holt: New York (1958).
Nicolaides, Kimon, The Natural Way to Draw. Houghton Milllin:
Boston (1941).
Sachs, Paul J., Modern Prints and Drawings. Alfred Knopf: New
York (1953).
*Available from National Recreation Association Recreation Book
Center, 8 West Eighth Street, New York 11.
18
RECREATION
YOUTH'S
No. 1
NEED
... in Kentucky
year-round recreation.
Joe Creason
FIFTEEN HUNDRED KfiNTUCKIANS
from throughout the state have
decided almost unanimously that
the most pressing need for Kentucky
children today is year-round organized
recreation in all sections of the Com-
monwealth. They rate this need as
greater than the need for modernized
schools, more and better trained teach-
ers, and expanded health and welfare
programs.
These 1,500 Kentuckians have stud-
ied their communities and submitted
separate reports that have been sum-
marized and were released at the Ken-
tucky White House Conference For
Children and Youth in Louisville in
October.
Recreation is one of five areas per-
taining to children that have been sur-
veyed. Other areas studied include
moral and spiritual values, education,
health and welfare.
The recreation report, which was
made over a period of six months,
reveals what the summary calls "a
deplorable lack of year-round public
programs of recreation" and "a tremen-
dous amount of recreational frustra-
tion" in Kentucky.
It also points to the lack of supervised
recreational outlets as being a major
contributor to juvenile delinquency by
"driving our boys and girls out of town
Reprinted with permission from the
Louisville (Kentucky) Courier-Journal.
on which Mr. Creason is a staff reporter.
to questionable places. . . ."
Among many others, these four facts
emerged from the study to indicate
the critical need for recreation.
Only nine full-time professional rec-
reation directors are employed in Ken-
tucky, and only five of these outside
Jefferson and Fayette Counties, where
two each are employed to direct separ-
ate city and county programs.
Only twenty-one counties have pro-
grams which even vaguely measure up
to being organized, and which offer
more than summertime activities for
both boys and girls.
Fifty-two counties have what they
call recreation programs, but which
consist only of athletics almost al-
ways Little League baseball a sea-
sonal activity which affords no oppor-
tunity for girls; twenty-eight counties
supplement athletics with swimming at
pools or beaches; fifteen counties have
no kind of organized recreation.
In fewer than a dozen counties are
school buildings kept open for after-
hour or summer recreation purposes.
Some schools even refuse to allow out-
door playgrounds to be used during
summer months.
Full-time, professional recreation di-
rectors are employed in Louisville and
Jefferson County, in Lexington and
Fayette County and in Bowling Green,
Elizabethtown, Frankfort, Glasgow, and
Mayfield.
The Jefferson County plan, whereby
local communities cooperate with the
playground and recreation board, long
has been regarded as a model and has
been copied all over the country.
In other counties or cities where an
effort has been made to set up planned
recreation, a director, usually a high-
school coach, is hired to conduct a lim-
ited June-through-late-August program.
Civic clubs often conduct the summer
athletic program, which constitutes the
only kind of planned recreation avail-
able in so many counties. Until Little
League baseball caught on in the last
ten years or so, most counties which
now point to that as their one recreation
activity had no program at all.
In a very real sense, many of those
participating in the report say Little
League baseball can hardly fit into com-
munity recreation. That's because only
the more skillful boys make the teams,
leaving the younger and less talented
boys and girls without any activity.
In addition to pointing up the short-
comings of recreation in Kentucky, the
report recommends:
that Kentucky employ a state recrea-
tion consultant to advise and assist local
communities in setting up programs;
that the state provide $1,000,000 an-
nually to assist on a dollar-for-dollar
basis up to $10,000 counties and ci-
ties willing to help themselves financial-
ly with recreation;
that candidates for public office at all
levels be asked to state their attitudes
toward organized recreation.
One of the first duties of a state rec-
reation consultant would be to explain
to local communities that Kentucky has
one of the nation's best and most work-
able enabling laws for the development,
acquisition, and operation of public
recreation programs. Under the law, it
is possible for either a city or county
government to set up separate or joint
recreation boards, or for cities and
counties to join with boards of educa-
tion in creating playground and rec-
reation boards.
Since it is so easy for a program to
be initiated in Kentucky, the report
assumes that two factors explain why
so few areas have taken action a lack
of know-how and a lack of money. The
state consultant would provide the
know-how; the $1,000,000 would sup-
plement locally raised funds. $:
JANUARY 1960
19
In The Next Ten Years
CURRICULUM STRATEGY
W. C. Sutherland
NEW YEAR and a new decade con-
stitute the psychological moment
for a backward look at profes-
sional preparation for recreation leader-
ship and the strategic time to plan for the
future. Most of the major recreation cur-
ricula developed during and since World
War II. In 1940 there were five schools, on record, that of-
fered recreation programs. The number increased to thirty-
five by 1948, and at present sixty-five colleges and universi-
ties report major recreation curricula. Thirty-five of these
confer both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Present Status. The majority of schools reporting a ma-
jor recreation curriculum today have an adequate recre-
ation faculty, in terms of quantity or quality, based on
standards agreed upcn by National Training Conferences on
Professional Preparation of Recreation Personnel. Schools
are uneven in faculty make-up and some have very few first-
class instructors. In many schools the recreation curriculum
lacks status in comparison wlih other disciplines and, all
too often, also lacks status with the employing agencies and
the recreation profession in general.
Nationally, the schools are operating at about fifty per-
cent under capacity and a number of institutions with a
major recreation curriculum are graduating no students
with recreation degrees. Many schools have not yet mobil-
ized important resources they have on the campus, and the
prevailing atmosphere does not inspire a creative approach
to professional recreation education. Neither are they util-
izing, effectively, community, agency, and professional re-
sources that could help enrich their programs and enhance
their status.
Fortunately, some new developments will force curricu-
lum changes and may relegate the weaker schools further to
the sidelines and the stronger ones to the forefront. Parents
are demanding, increasingly, that recreation for their chil-
dren be planned by qualified leaders with broad vision.
Adults, increasingly, are determined to live on the higher
level of their natures and are becoming more discriminat-
ing, thus challenging the quality of professional recreation
leadership. Pressures from operating agencies and profes-
sional groups are forcing the development of specialized
curriculums. For example, agencies providing service and
recreation leadership for the ill and handicapped, industrial
groups, park administration, community recreation, and
camping are claiming, with increasing evidence, that they
possess a special body of generic knowledge. Such special-
MR. SUTHERLAND is director of the National Recreation As-
sociation Recreation Personnel Service.
izations are demanding not only additional, but also differ-
ent, types of facilities and faculty members.
TNCREASING POPULATION, more leisure, more money, better
- traveling, urbanization, and other complex changes in
American and world society are placing recreation in a
prominent position. This places new demands on leadership
and raises questions as to the qualifications and quality of
recreation leaders.
The National Cultural Center proposed for Washington,
D. C., is destined to stand as a monument to America's cul-
tural maturity and may well speed the demand for special-
ists on the staffs of both public and private recreation
agencies. In any event, future executives, supervisors, and
program people will have to keep abreast of these new de-
velopments or accept a minor role in community leadership
as more progressive leaders and agencies establish them-
selves in the forefront of indispensable community services.
The 1961 White House Conference on the Aging is fo-
cusing the spotlight on another emerging specialization and
capturing the attention of politicians, civic clubs, and re-
ligious groups, as well as professional recreation leaders.
The schools will have to take this important segment of our
growing population into consideration as they plan future
recreation curriculums and concern themselves with the
special needs of this important group.
The Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission
also has implications for our training centers, especially for i
leadership at the state, regional, and national levels. The
vast scope of this act, to determine the types and locations j
of outdoor resources of land and water, will undoubtedly
turn up a need for trained leadership oriented in such fa- !
ciiities and resources.
Likewise, the 1960 White House Conference on Children ,
and Youth should bring to light new needs, new methods, i
new information, and new emphasis as we attempt to serve
more adequately this important part of our nation's popu-
lation. Recreation and youth leaders serving in highly
delinquent neighborhoods are finding that they must draw
on disciplines related to but outside the present recreation I
curriculum. Here, again, the builders of future recreation I
curriculums must be concerned with the special needs of I
these leaders and cut across department lines when neces- 1
sary.
The 1960 Survey of Social Welfare Manpower, which in-
cludes recreation personnel, will be of special interest to I
the recreation educators. For one thing, it will give the rec-l
reation profession its first national personnel inventory. For!
the first time in our history, we will learn the national status
of our profession: the number of leaders, their salaries,
20
RECREATION
the job levels, educational preparation, experience and spe-
cialization, together with certain basic information on work-
ing conditions. Such information will be valuable in plan-
ning for the future: for recruitment purposes, improving
personnel practices and standards, for raising the quality
of personnel, and for planning education programs.
OTHER INFLUENCES on the recreation curriculum, which
will result in curriculum changes, include the accelera-
tion of activities and forces represented by such issues as
accreditation, voluntary registration, certification, self-
evaluation of curriculums and standards imposed by pro-
fessional groups. National training conferences, composed
of both educators and recreation agency personnel, are be-
ing held more frequently and are resulting in curriculum
improvement.
How can we as recreation leaders fit effectively into an
orbiting future? We can't afford to coast and hide behind
a lot of "ifs" and "it all depends." To be sure, our future
strategy may be influenced by, and to some extent, depend
upon what labor and management may demand or expect
of recreation ; whether we are stuck with a cold war or get
into a hot one; whether we have a depression or continue
to expand our economy.
We are going to continue to hear a lot about automation.
We are also going to hear more and more about human-
ization, regardless of what happens nationally or interna-
tionally. This opinion is supported by recent research con-
firming new concepts of leadership and by the modern and
progressive concepts of management with emphasis on per-
sonal development, leadership communication, and human
relations.
Our future strategy must be one of action, beginning now,
today, as we begin another decade in planning programs
for the professional preparation of recreation leadership.
For this forward strategy consideration should be given
to the following additional concerns and observations:
# We need to produce lay leaders for the recreation move-
ment as weM as professional leaders.
# Education for policy-making at a high level is impera-
tive, as federal, national, regional, state, and metropolitan
agencies and services expand in an increasingly complex
society, undergoing constant change.
# The identification of recreation with other related move-
ments and community forces is blurred and needs clarifica-
tion.
# Representatives of various agencies must get away from
vested interests, narrow agency lines and structures, and
get down to a personal basis with one another if they are
to represent the larger citizenship.
# Goals and objectives must be defined and redefined as
the recreation movement reaches outward, upward, and on-
ward.
# There are vast, unrealized powers and resources still to
be discovered and developed in facilities and personnel.
# There is need for greater intellectual emphasis. Mental
laziness and superficial offerings must be replaced by more
vigorous and creative effort.
# The recreation movement must produce its share of
JANUARY 1960
scholars to write the books, conduct research, and occupy
academic and professional offices so our destiny may be
guided wisely.
# The future will demand more of board members, not
just to set policy, but also to interpret, together with pro-
fessional leaders, both policy and philosophy.
# Conferences, meetings, and training programs will be
vitalized by more visual resources, careful planning, and
attention to both short and long-range goals.
# There will be unlimited opportunity for the alert rec-
reation leaders to relate their programs to industry, civic
clubs, and cultural centers.
# Opportunities are now wasting away for recreation pro-
grams to tie into such technical subjects as electronics, avia-
tion, space, chemistry, mechanics, automation, and other
branches of science.
# Imaginative, creative, and intellectual action must keep
pace with our expanding structural and organizational ac-
tivities.
# Not only the large percentage of noncollege graduates
now holding positions, but others, are in dire need of im-
proved on-the-job training programs.
# Future training programs, both academic and on the
job, will stress more the importance of communication in
all its many forms : speaking, reading, writing, graphic arts,
counseling, interviews, and the philosophy and art of dis-
cussion.
# Future administrators will come out of training back-
grounds steeped in the humanities, and such subjects as lit-
erature, history, art, and philosophy. They will not consider
administration as just a matter of techniques.
# The transition from academic training to independent
job responsibility will be bridged in part by more intern-
ships, with close cooperative relationships between school
and agency.
# There must be a continuous, never-ending training ex-
perience from the time the individual enters the professional
curriculum until he retires, in at least three broad areas:
functional skills and ability; leadership and human rela-
tions; and comprehensive understanding. The latter is be-
ing neglected, yet is fast becoming one of the most important
areas of learning as the recreation executive attempts to
understand the various political, economic, social, and spir-
itual forces constituting the total matrix of which he is
only a part.
# There will be more critical evaluations of what is being
done.
# There will be more research to validate existing philoso-
phies, concepts, and principles.
# There will be a more strict adherence to high standards.
# Curriculum patterns will be kept flexible, and the bal-
ance between general education and specialized professional
education will be maintained.
The recreation movement and its profession depend upon
leadership. Professional preparation, therefore, is the heart
of our concern. Can the schools meet the challenge? I
think they can, provided they, along with the operating
agencies and professional workers, all team up together in
one common and cooperative task. $:
21
A REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK
People in the News
The appointment of Robert A. Lob-
dell as general manager of the parks
and recreation bureau of St. Paul, Min-
nesota, was approved by that city's city
council in November 1959. The ap-
pointment followed consolidation of the
three bureaus of parks, playgrounds,
and refectories into one parks and
recreation. RECREATION readers will be
hearing more from Bob Lobdell as he
is writing an article for the magazine
about recreation in St. Paul, where the
Great Lakes District recreation con-
ference will be held the first week of
April 1960.
National Recreation Association
member Arvid Olson is the new editor
of American Squares, the magazine of
American folk dancing. Until recently
American Squares had been published
in Newark, New Jersey. Its new ad-
dress is 2514 Sixteenth Street, Moline,
Illinois. Send all dance dates, unpub-
lished dances, news of general interest,
and other items there.
More news from the square- and
folk-dance field concerns Rickey Hoi-
den's worldwide tour. Reputed to be
the most widely traveled professional
caller in the world, Rickey leaves in
mid-January on a tour to include coun-
tries in Asia, Africa, and Europe, where
he plans to teach square and other
dances.
The city of Wilmington, Delaware,
became the richer, recreationally, by
an eighteen-hole golf course, later aug-
mented by adjoining undeveloped land,
all donated by Mr. and Mrs. William
du Pont, Jr. Both gifts were designated
to be used exclusively for public use.
(See RECREATION, April 1959, Page
149.) In appreciation of this, Recrea-
tion Promotion and Service (executive
secretary, George Sargisson) presented
the du Fonts with a testimonial certifi-
22
cate, thanking them for this and the
many other donations of time and
money they have made during the four-
teen years of RPS's existence.
At a joint meeting of the Missouri
Recreation Association and the Mis-
souri Parks and Recreation Society in
November, these two organizations de-
cided to consolidate and become a new
agency, henceforth to be known as the
Missouri Parks and Recreation Asso-
ciation.
The most recent news from Texas is
of the appointment of Beverly S. Shef-
field, Austin's director of recreation, to
a three-year term, both as a member
and chairman of the NRA's National
Advisory Committee on Recreation Ad-
ministration. He succeeds Robert W.
Crawford, Philadelphia's commissioner
of recreation.
Youth Appreciation Week in Mem-
phis, Tennessee, was climaxed with the
presentation, to Marion Hale, of a
plaque honoring him for his outstand-
ing youth work. The plaque was award-
ed to Memphis's superintendent of rec-
reation by that city's Optimist Clubs
on November 19, 1959. Upon receiving
his award, Mr. Hale said, "In the rec-
reation department, we work on the ba-
sis that the kids of today are the adults
of tomorrow. . . ."
It Pays to Advertise
The Provident Bank of Cincinnati,
Ohio, thinks so highly of its recreation
commission's drop-in centers for older
people that it has taken out ads in
the Cincinnati Inquirer to tell about
them. One such ad, with a large photo-
graph of activities in one of the cen-
ters, appeared in the November 2llli
edition. In addition, at the bottom of
the ad, the following invitation is ap-
pended: "Know someone who would
like to join the fun? Call the Recrea-
tion Commission, GArfield 1-1652."
More About Mr. Bannow
A write-up in The New York Times
about Rudolph Bannow, RECREATION
magazine author (see Page 14 this is-
sue) and new president of the National
Association of Manufacturers, provides
some information about what he does
with his spare time. As an ex-pattern
maker for metals, he still keeps his
hand in by developing new patterns for
his Bridgeport, Connecticut, company.
For further relaxation, Mr. Bannow has
been a member of the all-male North
Star Singers for twenty-six years, with
whom, every Wednesday night, he
raises his bass voice in song. At one
time he played soccer for the Swedish
Athletic Club (Mr. Bannow was born
in Goeteborg, Sweden) in Bridgeport,
but has now, as he says, "degenerated
to golf."
Pennies, Nickels, and Dimes
During the early part of last sum-
mer the children on the playgrounds of
Charleston, West Virginia, some of
them from very poor areas, collected
$109.58 to contribute to the Joseph Lee
Recreation Leadership Training Fund.
For the second year each playground
made a tremendous effort to amass the
pennies, nickels, and dimes as their
share of the contribution. Charleston's
superintendent of parks and recreation.
Bob Kresge, said, "We are still hoping
that this idea will catch on in other cit-
ii -. It seems to have every merit."
New Camping Council Formed
Campers and outdoor enthusiast! ill
soon be hearing much news about the
activities of the just formed Camping
Council for Travel and Wilderness
Campers. One of the council's main
aims is that of binding together more'
RECREATION
closely the interests of both campers
and the camping industry, for the bene-
fit of both.
According to its founder and direc-
tor, Rea Agnew, a director of Ameri-
can Youth Hostels and an experienced
camper, the council will assist campers
as an information agency responsive to
their needs. It will also promote camp-
ing, with planned programs designed to
foster the growth of more and better
campsites, wider government develop-
ment of camping areas, continuing im-
provement of camping equipment, and
the education of camping enthusiasts.
With the help of manufacturers, the
council intends to make the public more
camping conscious by carrying its pro-
gram directly into federal, state, and
local government channels.
Mr. Agnew was a speaker at the 41st
National Recreation Congress in Chi-
cago. This last summer he completed
a thirteen-state tour of national and
state campgrounds, found, among other
things, that campsites are growing far
more slowly than camping and that
there is a great need for better adminis-
tration of camping areas. Recreation
departments wishing to get in touch
with the Camping Council can write to
it at 17 East 48th Street, New York 17.
Special Services News
Dallas girl Dorothy J. Schmid has
been named First U. S. Army Craft Di-
rector at Governors Island, New York.
In her new assignment. Miss Schmid
will supervise craft shop programs at all
army installations in New England, New
York, and New Jersey. She was previ-
ously stationed in Germany and Japan.
Upon completion of four years' out-
standing service in USAREUR Miss
Jean Tague, Northern Area Command's
assistant service club director, was hon-
ored with a citation, early in October,
in Nurnberg, Germany, home of Special
Services Branch of Special Activities
Division, Hq USAREUR. Before her
promotion to assistant command direc-
tor in NACOM, she was a service club
director in Berlin, Nurnberg, and Mu-
nich. Her future plans included work
for her recreation doctorate at UCLA.
and honorary member, Dr. Tully C.
Leon Knoles, died November 30 at his
home in Stockton, California. He was
eighty-three. He is survived by his
widow Emily, three daughters, and five
Jin fHrmortam
National Recreation Association
sponsor for thirty-four years (1925-59)
IANUARY 1960
sons.
Mrs. John Mills, eighty, died Decem-
ber 17 in Greenwich, Connecticut. Long
active in civic affairs, she was on the
Greenwich Recreation Board of which
she was elected an honorary life mem-
ber when she retired.
Mrs. Bella Printz, one of the Nation-
al Recreation Association's many de-
voted sponsors, died in October on her
eighty-fourth birthday in Youngstown,
Ohio. Mrs. Printz, in addition to her
work for NRA, had also been active in
many civic enterprises, one of them in-
dulging her lifelong love of music. This
was the Monday Musical Club.
Montgomery B. Angell, seventy, died
November 26 in Peekskill, New York.
His many activities included Princeton
University's alumni affairs, member-
ship in the Century Association, vari-
ous memberships in associations con-
nected with the legal profession, and as
a commissioner in the Taconic State
Park Commission.
Julian Reiss, the businessman who
each Christmas played Santa Claus to
needy children throughout the North-
east United States and eastern Canada,
died December 13 in Lake Placid,
New York. His Operation Toylift
(written up in the December 1956
RECREATION, Page 472) this year deliv-
ered fifteen tons of toys by plane to
sixty-four thousand orphans and needy
children in thirty-eight communities.
His other activities on behalf of chil-
dren included the founding of the Pius
X Youth Camp for Needy Children at
Lake Placid.
Ralph Warner Harbison, former
president of the Young Men's Christian
Association and an active YMCA work-
er for more than thirty-two years, died
December 12 in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl-
vania, after a long illness. He was
eighty-three. As a young man he
worked in his father's company, of
which he later became a director, then
retired from active responsibility be-
cause of the increasing pressure of his
Y work. He served that association in
many capacities, ultimately becoming
president, which post he resigned in
1941.
Frank S. Land, founder of the Order
of DeMolay and its director for forty
years, died in Kansas City, Missouri,
November 9. He was sixty-nine. Mr.
Land became interested in youth work
right after World War I when he be-
came aware of the plight of the many
boys left fatherless by the war. He or-
ganized his group in 1919 with a nu-
cleus of nine boys, and lived to see it
grow into a worldwide fraternal organ-
ization for youths from fourteen to
twenty-one, with more than two thou-
sand chapters in the fifty states and
twelve foreign nations. The Order of
DeMolay is connected with the Shriners.
J. Alfred LeConey, former Olympic
track star died recently at the age of
fifty-eight. He was the ICAAAA 100-
yard-dash and 220-yard champion in
1922 and set the ICAAAA 100-yard-
dash record of 9.7 seconds which stood
for nine years. In the 1924 Olympic
games, held in Paris, Mr. LeConey was
anchor man on the victorious 400-meter
relay team that set a record of forty-
one seconds. Because of his many out-
standing contributions to the Olym-
pics, his picture appeared on a United
States Olympic commemorative post-
age stamp. Last year he received a
plaque honoring his twelve years' serv-
ice to the Plainfield, New Jersey, Rec-
reation Commission of which he had
been president three times.
Elizabeth Burchenal, founder of the
American Folk Dance Society and the
Folk Arts Center, author of many fine
collections of folk dances from many
lands, died on November 22 in Brook-
lyn, New York. She was among the
first to bring the idea of folk dancing
into the physical education programs
of the New York City public schools,
and was the first to organize the big
folk-dance festivals still conducted an-
nually in New York City's parks.
Many recreation leaders will remem-
ber Miss Burchenal's workshops at sev-
eral National Recreation Congresses
and will recall with affection and re-
spect her boundless energy and enthusi-
asm that placed folk dancing among
the programing arts. The recreation
movement owes her a debt of gratitude.
23
Shelters were partially assembled in the reserve training center. Reservists on the floor in the left foreground are assem-
bling part of the shelter. In the background men are sawing wood for the shelters. On the right, two privates are discuss-
ing next step in the operation; behind them a staff sergeant and captain drop in to survey the project, see hou it's going.
A
COMMUNITY
COOPERATIVE
PROJECT
Army reserves join the local recreation
board in building shelters
for youngsters in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
Here, the reservists begin building one of the bridges
carry pedestrian traffic to Lynch Field without having to
use heavily traveled Route 119. Rights-of-wav were secured
from a railroad, an oil company, and a private individu
Wallace J. Kallaugher
24
Greensburg recreation director Wallace Kallau^hrr < in
civvies) and personnel from the Army Reserves look oven
the site of some of the buildings. The property off toi
the right was the donation of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
RECREATION!
LIKE MANY RECREATION departments throughout the
country, Greensburg is ever faced with the problem
of stretching the budget dollar. We have millions of
dollars worth of ideas but not the money to make them a
reality. Most of the money goes for leadership, which is as
it should be, and the rest for maintenance and program.
Capital improvement was something needed and talked
about but out of the question, until a benefactor left the
Greensburg Recreation Board a yearly income, which im-
mediately was earmarked for capital improvement. In spite
of the income, there wasn't enough to do what had to be
done the building of new shelters, bridges, masonry work.
Sharpening our pencils, we found that we had enough to
buy the material, but the high cost of labor was something
else again. How did we meet this problem?
In the fall of 1958, I went to see Major Tex Meyers,
Senior Unit Advisor of the Greensburg Area Army Reserves
to inquire about the possibility of using the Army Engineer
MR. KALLAUGHER is director of recreation in Greensburg.
Reserve in a joint community project. They could help in
the building of structures needed for the normal function-
ing of our department. Our request was approved and a
meeting was set up with the officers and men of Company A
of the 326th Engineering Battalion under the command of
Captain Koloney.
An agreement was reached that all material and equip-
ment would be furnished by the recreation board ; the army
would supply the manpower and professional staff. Two
drills were scheduled a month for these projects; one on
Wednesday evening in which rafters and other features were
assembled and the following Sunday for putting the struc-
tures together. In addition to the shelters, bridges were
built at points crossing Jack Run, thus allowing pedestrian
traffic access to our Lynch Field Park without using heavily
traveled Route 119.
New plans for new projects have recently been discussed
with the army and Greensburg will further benefit by the
cooperation and community spirit shown to us by this
branch of the armed services. #
A shelter goes up! Here, the reservists assemble one of
the shelters. One group tackles putting on the roof while
another group works on the lower part of the building.
The result is fine array of new shelters for the community.
One of the bridges nears completion as reservists tighten
guard rails and finish off approaches with gravel. At the
far end of the bridge some of the men are cleaning up; on
the near side others load gravel for approach to bridge.
Reservists begin to lay the foundations for another bridge
to the park. All material and equipment were furnished
by recreation board. Army supplied manpower and pro-
fessional staff. New cooperative projects are in offing.
JANUARY 1960
Here is a completed shelter at Northmont. Reservists
were all members of Company A 326th Construction Bat~
talion, stationed at Greensburg. The project began in
1958, was finished in time for use in summer of 1959,
25
RECREATION
FOR THE ILL AND HANDICAPPED
Beatrice H. Hill
IN TEN YEARS time fewer than half
the recreation personnel working
with the ill and handicapped will
have hospital jobs. This may seem like
rank defeatism on the part of a person
who has devoted more than twenty
years to promoting hospital recreation,
but it is just the opposite.
What I mean by my prediction is
that modern concepts of comprehensive
rehabilitation are creating a growing
demand for professional recreation
services for the ill and handicapped
wherever they may be. The broad
world of medicine is beginning to rec-
ognize the fact that patients in nursing
homes, homes for the aged, home-bound
programs, and rehabilitation programs
need recreation services. Some of us
even venture to predict the day isn't far
off when more and more of the commu-
nities and industries where the handi-
capped live and work will look for help
in providing handicapped persons with
opportunities to live more fully and be
more productive.
So when I say that fewer than half
of today's hospital recreation workers
will be working in the hospital setting
ten years from now, it isn't because hos-
pital recreation is on the way out, but
because new career opportunities in
recreation for the ill and handicapped
are on the way in. First, let's take a
look at what's been happening in recre-
ation for the ill and handicapped aged.
Government statistics show that there
are some twenty-five thousand propri-
etary nursing homes in this country.
These nursing homes house approxi-
mately four hundred and fifty thousand
MRS. HILL is director, National Rec-
reation Association Consulting Service
on Recreation for the III and Handi-
capped.
26
so-called guests. Two years ago, the
National Recreation Association's Con-
sulting Service on Recreation for the
111 and Handicapped found that less
than one percent of these nursing
homes offered their patients a regularly
scheduled recreation program. The
Consulting Service knew recreation was
a vital necessity to these patients, and
many of the nursing home proprietors
knew it, too. But they said they just
couldn't afford professional help in pro-
viding recreation services to their pa-
tients. "After all," they argued, "with
the average home housing only eight-
een patients, it just isn't economically
feasible."
The staff of the Consulting Service
chewed on this bitter pill, swallowed it,
and digested it. Then it set up a series
of pilot projects to demonstrate the eco-
nomic feasibility of coordinated rec-
reation programs for nursing homes.
These pilot projects were carried out
in New York City; Westchester County,
New York; and Connecticut.
In each of these localities, Consulting
Service staff members prevailed on four
to six nursing home proprietors to
share the cost of (1) "heavy equip-
ment," such as phonographs, records,
movie projectors, screens, and the like,
to be used in each of the homes on a
rotating basis; and (2) the salary of
a professional recreation worker to re-
cruit, screen, train, and supervise the
work of volunteers in each of the par-
ticipating homes.
At the end of the year, detailed re-
ports of these pilot projects were pub-
lished in several national professional
nursing home journals. Results were
phenomenal. Requests for assistance in
setting up similar programs poured in
to the Consulting Service from all over
the country. Since then it has helped set
up projects in numerous states through-
out the country, and is in the process
of responding to additional requests for
help in getting coordinated recreation
programs under way in hundreds of
nursing homes.
For example, the New Jersey Associ-
ation of Nursing Homes asked for help
in establishing coordinated recreation
programs in all one hundred and twen-
ty-five of its member homes. To date,
the Consulting Service has placed four
professional workers among thirty of
these homes. Their salaries range from
fifty-two hundred to six thousand dol-
lars.
In Philadelphia, where the Consult-
ing Service is developing coordinated
programs for twenty-two nursing
homes, the recreation director has been
engaged at sixty-five hundred dollars.
Approximately forty-five hundred dol-
lars is in the budget for each of the
two assistants who will join the project
shortly.
In other words, the new era in rec-
reation for the ill and handicapped in-
cludes aiming for better salaries for
recreation workers. Already the nurs-
ing homes are competing for the serv-
ices of specialists in this huge new field
of recreation; the competition will
grow. Think what this means in term*
of salary levels!
NOT SATISFIED with the success of its
coordinated recreation program
idea in relation to nursing homes, the
Consulting Service has several other
demonstration projects working. These
are designed to bring recreation serv-
ices to the ill and handicapped in many
places besides hospitals and nursing
homes. Such projects as those that fol-
RECREATION
In The Next Ten Years
low will open up career opportunities
galore.
The Sussex County Project. Because
many rural communities have too few
private nursing homes to make sharing
of costs practical, the Consulting Serv-
ice has set up a demonstration project
involving a community general hospi-
tal, the county welfare home, and four
proprietary nursing homes in Sussex
County, New Jersey. (See "Recreation
jor the III, Handicapped, and Aged"
RECREATION, October 1959, Page 334.)
The director of this project will soon
engage an assistant, whose job it will
be to develop recreation services for the
home-bound and the boarding-home
residents of this rural area.
The Monroe County Project. The
Consulting Service is currently work-
ing with the city of Rochester, New
York, to develop a program with a large
professional staff, to service all the hos-
pitals and nursing homes in Monroe
County. A similar program in Albany.
New York, is in the planning stage.
The Rochester project is attempting to
limit each worker to about six institu-
tions within reasonable distance of
each other. Since the worker should
not be responsible for more than three
hundred patients, each is assigned to a
number of institutions with a total cen-
sus of three hundred or less. The Con-
sulting Service tackled this project to
demonstrate the practicability of setting
up coordinated recreation programs for
small towns and cities as well as for
rural communities and groups of pro-
prietary nursing homes.
The Home-bound Project. Under a
grant from the Office of Vocational Re-
habilitation in Washington, D. C., the
Consulting Service will demonstrate
ways in which recreation personnel can
collaborate with a visiting nurse service
and a hospital with a home-care pro-
gram to bring recreation to the home-
bound ill and handicapped. It hopes
also to show how the home-bound can
be brought into participation in com-
munity recreation programs. This
three-year project is scheduled to begin
some time in the next few months.
The Sheltered Workshop Project.
This study, to determine the need for
recreation services among clients of
sheltered workshops, began in August
1959 under another grant from the Of-
fice of Vocational Rehabilitation. The
objective is to arrive at some practical,
down-to-earth recommendations for us-
ing recreation as a force in enriching
the lives, and perhaps increasing the
productivity of, handicapped workers
in sheltered industry. The Consulting
Service then hopes to carry out these
recommendations to actually prove
their value. So far, findings indicate
that recreation services in this area
should be mainly on an advisory or
counseling level, to help clients take
advantage of opportunities for social
rehabilitation through available com-
munity resources.
TN ADDITION to these projects, the Con-
* suiting Service is keeping an eye on
other areas where opportunities for ca-
reers in recreation for the ill and handi-
capped may be expected to arise. For
example, playground leaders want to
know how to set up programs for handi-
capped children. Many want to know
where to find professional recreation
workers skilled in working with the
handicapped. The Consulting Service
has been gathering data in playgrounds
and camps throughout the country,
and finds that an increasing number of
them include handicapped children in
their programs. At present, three hun-
dred camps and one hundred and twen-
ty-eight playgrounds offer this service.
There is evidence that this trend will
continue and that career opportunities
in this area will increase.
The much publicized Bill for Inde-
pendent Living (H.R. 3465) indicates
a broadening interest in meeting the re-
habilitation needs of handicapped per-
sons not potentially employable. When
this bill becomes law, persons who are
not now capable of realizing benefits
from occupational and vocational ther-
apy will undoubtedly be entitled to re-
ceive activity therapy.
A congressional committee (of which
the author is a member) will explore
unmet needs in the areas of the handi-
capped and chronically ill of all ages
and develop ways and means for the
government to help to meet these needs.
It goes without saying that, here again,
are unexplored career opportunities.
The work being done at Fountain
House, New York City, and in the mu-
nicipal recreation department of Kan-
sas City, points the way for social re-
habilitation of the physically and the
mentally ill. With increased emphasis
on recreation counseling for patients
before and after discharge from hospi-
tals, new positions are opening up for
recreation specialists in rehabilitation
centers, half-way houses, and the like.
Workshops and schools for the mental-
ly retarded and the emotionally dis-
turbed are asking for help in providing
recreation services to meet the special
needs of their clients.
You must agree that the present and
future career opportunities are wonder-
fully promising and challenging. The
new era is here ! The tragedy is that we
are not quite ready for it. Even now,
there are not enough qualified recrea-
tion people to fill the positions that
exist. How, then, are we to produce
enough recreation workers for the new
era?
A T THIS POINT the crystal ball grows
*"* cloudy. Peering through the murk.
I see that our first and foremost profes-
sional responsibility is to find an an-
swer to this question by taking three
basic steps: (1) we must join forces in
a single determined movement dedi-
cated to the formulation of a working
philosophy embracing present and fu-
ture meanings of recreation for the ill
and handicapped; (2) we must develop
a unified concept of education for the
recreation specialist of the future; and
(3) we must design an effective recruit-
ment campaign to attract well-qualified
young people to the profession.
We must also come to terms with our-
selves and with each other to solidly
establish recreation for the ill and hand-
icapped as a recognized professional
discipline. If we do not chart our own
course, others will do it for us. lead-
ing us into heaven knows what dark
waters.
JANUARY 1960
2?
VETS WITH VOLUNTEERS
William M. Hay
American Legion Auxiliary volunteers
assist in education therapy. Here, they
are teaching typing and geography.
THE STAFF OF THE Veterans Ad-
ministration Hospital at Salis-
bury. North Carolina, are suc-
cessful and seasoned veterans in the
meaningful use of volunteers. This
story tells how, through a carefully
worked at and worked out system, vol-
unteers can be used to distinct advan-
tage, to both themselves and the pa-
MR. HAY represents the National Rec-
reation Association in the Southern
District.
tients. Awards for meritorious service
go to the former; rewards of a life-
worth-living go to the patient, some-
times a volunteer himself.
Citizens of the Salisbury area,
through various groups not the least
of which is the city recreation depart-
ment work closely with the hospital.
Volunteers come from several counties
and a number of cities within a radius
of over sixty miles. As a result, total
number of volunteers is approximately
five thousand.
Five thousand volunteers in a year's
time sounds like a dream or a tall tale.
To top this is the news that they all
work and make real and lasting contri-
butions. Much is due, in part, to the
fine way this program is handled. The
recruitment, training, and handling of
volunteers giving them a real job to
do that is rewarding in itself goes a
long way. The hospital's method of
awards, by means of an annual recog-
nition program, adds stimulation to
this outstanding volunteer effort as well
as the personal touch that means suc-
cess. Some individual volunteers have
given hundreds of hours, some several
thousand hours, and at least one, more
than ten thousand hours. Organiza-
tions have given a minimum of four,
eight, and twelve annual programs in
special activities for which they receive
special certificates of recognition.
The story of the value of volunteers
in the recreation program has been
expounded over and over. Sometimes it
is accompanied by a sigh of misgiving
and a look of doubt, but at the Salis-
bury Veterans Hospital positive use of
volunteers reaches a peak through the
Veterans Administration Volunteer
Service.
"They do things the regular staff
cannot do. Without the staff for the
core program, however, volunteers
would be fairly useless. With a good
staff, the volunteers can provide em-
bellishments to the core program that
are like icing on the cake, or spice in
the pudding, so to speak." These are
the enthusiastic words of M. R. Brown-
lee, chief of special service.
Like any fruitful effort, the use of
volunteers does not come easily or
without careful planning, good public
relations, training and assisting the
Volunteer Service Committee representatives gather for meeting. Volunteers must be trained for most effective use.
28
RECREATION
Volunteers receive certificates and pins at recognition ceremony.
volunteers, and recognition. Personal
recognition and appreciation are pri-
mary requisites, and the keys to the
success of any volunteer program.
Mr. Brownlee explained some of the
mechanics that make the machinery go
at Salisbury. He emphasized the im-
portance of first having a well-trained
professional staff to work with the
volunteers: "This program could not
have got off the ground without them."
The staff must be prepared to use the
volunteers, and the volunteers trained
to work with the staff, on specific as-
signments for which they are recruited.
This is done through special training
for both, a continuing process by
means of special institutes and staff
meetings. After the orientation course,
applicants are screened to see if they
fit into one of the established categor-
ies. The first ten hours of service pro-
vide a probationary period to see if
the volunteer can do this important
job.
In order to attract people of special
talents for specific jobs, a carefully
prepared booklet Assignment Guide
for Recruitment of Volunteer Workers
is in use. Contained therein are more
than thirty assigment guides. Each
sets out the nature of the job, skills
needed, duties, personal character-
istics, and person to whom the volun-
teer is responsible. This booklet is
first distributed to the VAVS commit-
tee, composed of representatives from
the various civic, service, church, and
fraternal organizations. Each commit-
tee member takes the Guide for Re-
cruitment to his organization for help
in securing volunteers. Member or-
ganizations send people from their
own ranks to serve, while the organi-
zation operates as a volunteer group.
The VAVS committee meets eight
times each year regularly and on spe-
cial occasions. Its work is accomplished
through subcommittees, which are as
follows: program and publicity, social
activities, Christmas gift wrapping,
flower, reviewing, patient gifts, carni-
val, hospital day, Veterans Day, volun-
teer awards, and recruitment.
These various committees work on
special assignments the year round, or
at the time indicated by seasonal pro-
grams. Some of these major events
call for additional volunteers and
considerable time. Then, the various
organizations will provide an outing,
picnic, party, trip, or an activity of
some sort for which it is solely respon-
sible in planning, executing, and fi-
nancing. The volunteer working in the
ward gives an afternoon or evening
once a week, while the organization
helps several times during the year.
The individual volunteers who come
to the hospital for special assignments
work closely with the staff. The values
are not limited to an activity such as
crafts, or sports, or dancing. The per-
sonal association of the volunteer with
the patient is very worthwhile. An
outside person not regular staff
with a fresh approach gets a greater
response. "This is part of the job the
volunteer does that a staff person can-
not do," Mr. Brownlee explains.
The volunteers working the wards
on individual assignments are invited
to attend medical staff meetings. Here,
they learn more about various types of
patients. In turn, the professional staff
gains first-hand information from the
volunteer, benefiting from his some-
times intimate person-to-person con-
tact with the various patients. Dona-
tions provide canteen books for pa-
tients without funds.
Volunteer service opportunities are
not limited to nonpatients, but are
open to some "open-ward patients" as
well. They can, and do, serve through
the hospital's "Helping Hand Society."
These volunteers go even further with
the person-to-person aspect of the
volunteers than any others. They are
able to get closer to other patients and
secure a response more readily. This
is particularly true with the "continu-
ous treatment" patient. The society
chose its own name and drew up its
own constitution. It contains ten to
twenty members, who remain members
even after discharge from the hospital.
Patient Sam Smith (fictitious names
for patients are used throughout) be-
came a member-employee and worked
in the recreation service where he
supervised volunteers. Later, through
a volunteer, he became a supervisor of
a playground in the city. He is now
attached to a college physical educa-
tion staff. Bob Jones, through volun-
teers, worked in a supervisory capa-
city for a local hatchery. He now
operates his own service station.
These two stories reveal, to some ex-
tent, the manner in which the total
volunteer program bridges the gap
from hospital to community life.
Volunteers in the surrounding com-
munity are invariably willing to as-
sist the discharged patient in his social
and economic adjustment to home life.
This method has much to offer any
organization, public or private. More
effective and fuller use of volunteers
can be realized. If you are not using
them, then find out more about this
excellent method of the Veterans Ad-
ministration Hospital at Salisbury,
North Carolina. #
JANUARY 1960
29
RECREATION AN!
A PROTESTANT VIEW
Earl R. Barr
CHANGING PATTERNS OF work and leisure will require
changes in the traditional programs of the church.
With leisure time increasing, many persons will de-
mand more and different activities in the church. The use
of leisure time calls for skills that many persons have not
developed. To call forth these skills will be the task of the
church and the recreation specialists. In the creation of
such programs and skills, churches may need to re-examine
their use of staff and time.
Traditionally, the Protestant church relies on its clergy-
man to serve as preacher, pastor, administrator, and pro-
gram director. Continuously the clergyman discovers that,
while the first two portions of his responsibility receive
less of his time, his training has centered on these activities.
The individual clergyman may be able to coach basketball,
teach photography, or guide golden-age activities, but rarely
can he do all three. This means the church can meet the
challenge by adding to its staff a recreation-trained person
or by accepting partial responsibility for a community pro-
gram.
Since many churches lack sufficient financial resources
for a program and do not have enough persons in any one
age level for adequate grouping, recreation leaders may be
asked to develop programs for different ages, using total
resources of several churches. For example, in one com-
munity several churches have worked together to set up a
program for each age group in the community. One church
operates an after-school program for children from eight
to twelve years; a second church staffs a center for teen-
agers, and the third has developed a program for older peo-
ple. In a situation such as this a trained worker could help
and supervise church volunteers in programs for the vary-
ing age groups.
In the church or in the community, the recreation di-
rector will play a more meaningful role. The passage of
needed laws against child labor, the increase in employed
women, and growing urbanization make it difficult for teen-
agers to find part-time work. Tasks or chores around the
MR. BARR is executive secretary, Department of Christian
Education, The Protestant Council of the City of New York.
house have decreased rapidly in this era of appliances. This
places a responsibility upon recreation as a learning ex-
perience, for in his play a youth learns how to relate to
others. In his hobby-shop activity, he learns how to work
for the pleasure of the task. In planning activities in rec-
reation, he learns to plan, to make a realistic budget, and
to evaluate a program's effectiveness. Here, the recreation
director in the community or on a church staff will serve
as guide, teacher, and friend as youth learns these aspects
of adult life.
Coupled to the need for staff is the challenge of "shift"
and weekend work. Churches tend to center religious ac-
tivities on Sunday mornings. The need for worship services
at varied times may force the clergyman to limit his role
to the first two parts of his function. In addition to the
change in worship scheduling, the varied work patterns may
mean that recreation staff persons and facilities should be
available at different hours. Adults might enjoy recreation
opportunities in the morning or late at night. Programs for
parents may be possible during the school hours if the father
works the four to twelve shift. Church and recreation lead-
ers will need to think through the possibilities in the chang-
ing work hours.
Another church recreation custom has been to design
programs for age groups. Some churches have instituted
family nights, but these programs mean that the family
comes to the church and is separated into age-level activi-
ties. Possibly the church contributes to family life dis-
ruption through this type of program. Juvenile delinquency
serves as a violent indicator that family life in our society
needs strengthening; one explanation offered for delinquent
behavior stresses the failure of parents to provide adequate
"images" for juvenile identification. The urban society,
the commuting society, and the age-level recreation rein-
force the pattern of individual activity. Children and adults
need activities to permit interaction. Children and parents
rarely work or learn together, but the church can provide
opportunities for other experiences for families. Worship
for families has become a part of many churches, but rec-
reation for a family has not.
Family recreation could provide an opportunity for chil-
dren and parents to discover each other as persons. Ir
today's culture children rarely see how parents relate to
adults, how parents solve problems, how working togethe
strengthens family ties. Last summer the writer participat
in a family folk game. Children over five years joined wit
adults over seventy to play. For both, this game provide
a meaningful opportunity to know more about each other
In this particular group the adults remained adults relating
to children. Our families need many opportunities to play
30
RECREATION
In The Next Ten Years
HURCH GROUPS
together, but the church and the recreation leaders have
not provided such. During the next decade, the church will
need the help of recreation leaders to provide programs for
family unit leisure time.
Finally, the church will need more lay leadership to guide
and to aid these new activities. One of the basic problems
in any local church is leadership. Hopefully, recreation
workers could aid the church in training leaders by helping
adults and teen-agers learn the skills of committee work,
the planning and administering of programs in recreation.
Skills learned in this process would enlarge the church's
pool of leaders.
The church will need help in the next ten years to con-
tinue its total ministry, in the name of God, to all men.
Man's use of his leisure time may well indicate what im-
pact the church has upon our society. To make this impact
a creative one, the church will call upon persons trained in
recreation.
A CATHOLIC VIEW
laurice M. Hartmann, Ph.D.
In attempting to speculate upon the theme of this sym-
osium from the point of view of Catholics, it is helpful
base our predictions upon the Catholic attitude towards
eisure time and recreation. This attitude was touched upon
y His Holiness Pope John XXIII in a letter written in
eptember 1959: "According to the Christian vision of
fe, all time working and leisure time is a value en-
rusted by God to the freedom of man, who must utilize
t to the glory of God Himself and for the greater perfec-
lon of his own person. . . ."
The Catholic bishops of the United States in 1932 stated
lat "leisure time should be used only for wholesome en-
oyment and entertainment, such as one may look back to
rith a good conscience and a satisfied heart. To our own
>eople we appeal that they should further resolve to use
art, at least, of their leisure time in attendance at daily
Mass; in frequenting the other services of the church and
ndeavoring to acquaint themselves with the meaning and
he message to them of the liturgical year."
The Catholic views leisure time as an occasion for whole-
some recreation not merely in the narrow sense of the word
jut also in its broadest sense as an opportunity for a
uller family life, for worship, for cultural, social, and spir-
tual growth, for the development of the whole man.
The concept of Recreation permeates all Catholic rec-
eation Catholic Youth Councils, CYO's, Catholic Young
Vdult Clubs, day and summer camps, recreation programs
)R. HARTMANN is director of program for the National
'atholic Community Service, Washington, D. C.
\NIIARV IQfifl
of schools, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, parish
and diocesan social activities, and so on.
During the next few years, we can look forward confi-
dently to a continued growth of these activities and organ-
izations. Programs for youth will increase in number, vari-
ety, and participation. There will be an even more greatly
accelerated development of recreation for adults, including
those in the golden years of their lives. During the next
decade there will also probably be a noteworthy increase in
activities engaged in by family groups, both inside and
away from their homes.
It is expected that the members of the armed forces of
the United States and dependent members of their families
will be numbered in the millions during the foreseeable fu-
ture. No doubt, therefore, the National Catholic Commu-
nity Service, as a member agency of USO, will continue to
employ a large number of professional workers to help meet
the leisure-time needs of the military.
Certainly, the overall increase in leisure time will result
in an increased use of trained and experienced recreation
workers in church-related activities. There will be more
diocesan directors of recreation, coaches, playground su-
pervisors, camp counselors. Also more volunteers will do-
nate their time to recreation.
Catholic youth councils and other Catholic groups, or-
ganized locally and nationally under the National Council
of Catholic Youth, will undoubtedly increase in number.
The Right Reverend Monsignor Joseph E. Schieder, director
of the Youth Department of the National Catholic Welfare
Conference, in which the National Council of Catholic
Youth is based, recently stated that in the last two years
there has been an explosive increase in the number of dio-
cesan youth councils and an even greater increase in the
number of parish youth councils.
"The NCCY program, executed on the diocesan and paro-
chial levels, encourages a highly Christian use of leisure,
not only among the youth on which it focuses primarily,
but also among those professional persons and adult ad-
visers which it engages," said Monsignor Schieder to this
31
writer. "The proper use of leisure time must be understood
as a formative process for young people. Thus the fourfold
program covering the youth's spiritual, cultural, social, and
physical activities relates integrally to his development as
a competent and mature Christian, whose adult use of his
leisure will reflect the good patterns of his youth. This
concept, plus our recent experience, permits us to project
validly that the next three to five years will see an almost
maximum introduction of the council plan."
There will be other changes, of course. But, during the
next ten years, it is likely that they will be quantitative and
qualitative rather than related to essentialities or basic
structure. In recreation there will still be an emphasis upon
wholesomeness, moderation, morality. There will be an un-
derstanding that increased leisure time provides opportuni-
ties not only for rec-reation but also for re-creation mental
and spiritual, as well as physical and social. Above all,
primary emphasis will be directed, as always, towards the
direct or indirect objective of the sanctification of souls
in recreation as in every Catholic activity.
A JEWISH VIEW
Sanford Solentler
Few problems today are more perplexing than the all-
pervasive crises in values. Social philosophers decry the
lack of a sense of purpose in our social and political organ-
ization. People hesitate, in doubt about the values with
which to guide their actions. Youth is left bewildered by
the inability of adults to resolve this dilemma.
Perhaps it is a fortuitous circumstance that this condi-
tion emerges at the same time that man's leisure is on the
increase. Expanding recreation programs to fill this new
leisure can be vehicles for helping people to find answers to
their search for values.
As people play together in physical education, cultural,
or social activities, leaders have an incomparable oppor-
tunity to deal with these sensitive points of urgent need.
Doubts and confusions about values can be brought to the
fore and considered where they have a direct impact upon
daily living. Skillful leadership has the chance here to in-
fluence substantially the judgments of people in small and
large areas of concern.
All recreation whatever its auspices can deal impor-
tantly with this problem. Recreation programs under sec-
tarian sponsorship have an additional impetus and a vital
resource for attacking this need. The moral and social
MR. SOLENDER is director of the Jewish Community Center
Division, National Jewish Welfare Board, New York City.
goals animating the establishment of their programs pro-
vide the motive power for their concern here. The rich
value reservoir inherent in the way of life they aim to com-
municate can have enormous relevance and meaning for
participants. It is for the leaders of such programs to find
the consummate skill which will enable them to convey this
effectively to participants. Given a profound respect for
human diversity, a commitment to the right of each person
to find his own way, and keen insight into the aspirations
and needs of the human personality, leaders of sectarian
recreation programs can make a telling contribution to this
great need of our times.
Jewish community centers and Young Men's and Young
Women's Hebrew Associations exemplify the translation of .
these purposes into action. These organizations afford op-
portunities for persons of all ages to make creative use of I
their leisure through rewarding group associations. Com-
petent leadership enables members to derive enjoyment
from varied recreation pursuits, along with the rich moral
and social learnings inherent in these experiences.
These centers and YM and YWHA's employ leisure-time '
programs to further their members' well-rounded develop-
ment. Members are aided to find fulfillment as Americans
and as Jews through identification, knowledge, and partici-
pation in respect to both of these integral facets of their
lives. Activities based upon civic concerns and community i
living further their sense of the meaning of democracy.
Programs drawing upon their Jewish heritage enable them \
to comprehend the vital ethical and social values inherent
in their religion, history, art forms, and experience as a|
people. Combined with appreciation of the harmony ofj
these values with the American democratic tradition, this
understanding of their Jewishness significantly strengthens!
the capacity of Jews to meet the pressing challenges of lifej
today. #
Looking ahead ten years, I believe that, apart
from the ever-present danger of war, we stand on
the threshold of the 1960 's aware that leisure will
be one of the major problems and one of the perti-
nent questions in the Western World. I think you
had better be ready for the challenge that will be
imposed on you. HOMER C. WADSWORTH, chairman,
President's Advisory Committee on the Fitness of
American Youth.
32
RECREATIOJ
LOCAL
AND
STATE
DEVELOPMENTS
, Elvira Delany
CALIFORNIA. Under a triparty interagency agreement
335 acres of brushland have been cleared to provide a
"browseway" for propagation of deer in the Sierra Pelona
region of Angeles National Forest. "Browseway" is a newly
coined word among foresters and game wardens to denote
an area established especially for wildlife habitat feeding.
The U. S. Forest Service, the Los Angeles County Fish and
Game Commission, and the Los Angeles County Department
of Parks and Recreation have joined forces to provide bet-
ter foraging areas for deer. The commission is providing
funds for the three-year development program. With the
first year's allotment of $6,500 the Forest Service cleared
125 acres of brush in checkerboard pattern and 50 miles of
strip (the equivalent of 200 acres) and mashed ten acres
of brush for burning. This cleared area will be seeded to
provide a feeding area.
additional appropriation from the general fund helped with
the latter) . Burl Gillette, director of parks and recreation,
and his staff are now developing fifty acres of parkland and
installing lighted fields. Plans for 1960 call for additional
land acquisition and lighting another field. All development
at the present time will be neighborhood areas, no large
parks. Later, attention will turn to a large outlying area as
a major development.
The park and recreation department is proud of its new
128'-by-114', laminated-truss gym which can accommodate
anything from a basketball game to club conventions. The
gym has two full-size basketball courts plus the main court.
It also has a self-supporting health club complete with mas-
seur and steam bath.
The department's teen club program is also virtually self-
supporting except for supervision. The teen-agers were
able to pay for their own equipment with money from con-
cessions and fees from pool-table charges and record rental,
as well as to donate a hundred-dollar scholarship to the high
school. Teen activities go on every day and on Friday and
Saturday nights. The original bowling area was given a
smooth-trowel finish for skating and dancing parties. A
rifle range will be set up adjacent to the teen area, with an
archery range to come. Plexiglas windows will separate
the areas.
The Wilson department also boasts a seven-acre day camp
occupying the last wooded area left inside the city. Lest
anybody has any designs on this precious area he had better
be prepared to run Mr. Gillette out of town. (He seems
firmly entrenched, having just been elected president of the
North Carolina Recreation Society.)
HAWAII. The Honolulu Zoo has a new memorial drinking
fountain, set up as a unit with masonry picnic tables and
benches, financed by funds willed by Mrs. Clara Moore
Tower, at one time a storyteller for the recreation division.
Mrs. Tower left funds for a fountain for dogs and people
in Kapiolani Park. Since dogs are not encouraged to come
in the park it was decided to set up the fountain in the zoo.
Waipahu Field, in Honolulu, now has a completely por-
celain-enameled comfort station, first of its kind in the is-
lands. The parks and recreation department hopes that this
type of structure will withstand vandalism. According to
DeLos A. Seeley, director of planning and construction, the
building, with its roof and walls of porcelainized enameled
steel panels, should be practically indestructible. Since the
color is fused into the enamel no painting is necessary and
there will be no fading; maintenance is also simplified. The
lightweight structure is particularly suitable for unstable
ground conditions such as exist at the Waipahu park site.
NORTH CAROLINA. With funds from $550,000 general-
obligation bond issue passed in 1955, Wilson now has a new
forty-thousand-square-foot community center; was able to
improve a recreation building dating from WPA days, add-
ing twenty-five thousand square feet to it; and built a
i.OOO fan-shaped swimming pool. 68'-by-45'-by-105' (an
TEXAS. W. Cecil Winters, superintendent of parks and
recreation in Garland feels his city needs a park-and-rec-
reation bond issue every two years "to keep up, not
catch up" with a steadily growing population and increasing
demand for areas and facilities. In the past year Garland
has developed five neighborhood park and playground
areas, exhausting funds from a $460,000 general-obligation
bond issue which also provided a recreation building, a
fifty-meter swimming pool and a major park site of approx-
imately 125 acres. The department has a staff of twelve
full-time and forty-five part-time personnel.
A new bird island is being developed on Copano Bay near
Bay side through the efforts of the Copano Sportsman's Club.
The area covers about two hundred acres of shell bank near
the mouth of Mission Bay and is covered with scrub oak
and cactus. The club has asked that the land belonging to
the state be turned over to the National Audubon Society
as a sanctuary.
The Houston Parks and Recreation Department has taken
over on the responsibility for recreation activities on Lake
Houston. The lake covers 12,600 acres and is about four-
teen miles long. The department operates a lake-patrol boat,
manned by the park patrol. The boat is equipped with a
two-way radio operating through the Houston Police dis-
patcher frequency. (For further news of Houston's rapid
expansion and future program see Page 11.) $
JANUARY- 1960
33
GAMES OF THE HANDS
'These are old as human play itself . . '
Glenn G. Dahlem
Frequently a small party or other in-
formal recreation gathering drags for
lack of planned, competitive amuse-
ment; or the setting may preclude ac-
tivities requiring special equipment or
facilities. There exists, however, a
family of games that requires little or
no equipment nor previous experience.
"Games of the Hands," activities
played solely with the hands, are as old
as human play itself. Impromptu skill
contests of various sorts involving hand
movements are found in the culture of
many ethnic groups, their origins lost
in antiquity. In the United States, the
intermingling of various races and na-
tionalities has created a treasury of
games of many kinds. Five such games
of the hands, all of an informal and
spontaneous nature, are listed here.
MR. DAHLEM completed his master's
degree at Winona (Minnesota) State
College in 1959, now teaches social
studies and assists in coaching sports
at a Yakima, Washington, senior high
school. He is writing a cultural anthro-
pology of athletics and recreation.
The Slapping Game. The Slapping
Game is a hilarious skill contest, involv-
ing strategy, reaction time, and the
guess factor. It is playable only in
pairs, members of the group matched in
any way desired. Each pair decides
who shall be on "offense" first. The
two combatants face each other, hands
and arms extended, elbows somewhat
bent. Hands are placed in a horizontal
plane at chest height, about one foot
to eighteen inches apart, with the fin-
gers relaxed, but extended.
The player first on defense places
his hands palms down, at the height,
width, and degree of extension he de-
sires; thus assuming the "on-guard"
position. The offensive player brings
his hands palms up to a point immedi-
ately below those of the defender, close,
but not touching.
The defender signals "ready," and
the offensive player attempts to slap
either or both backs of the defender's
hands, whichever and whenever he feels
success likely. The defender is allowed
to withdraw his hands quickly at any
time, to avoid being slapped, but must
return them to "on-guard" position
within a reasonable time.
Score is kept by the offensive player,
who counts aloud cumulatively, one
point for each slap, including two
points for a "double" (both hands si-
multaneously) until he slaps and misses.
A miss ends his turn on offense, and
roles are reversed, the former defender
now doing the slapping, the previous
offensive player assuming the palms
down "on-guard" position.
After the second player has missed
in a slapping attempt, the totals of each
are compared, the highest declared win-
ner, and a new game commences. After
several games, such as two out of three
or four out of seven, winners of differ-
ent contests may be matched.
The Slapping Game becomes very
strategic; the offensive player has a
choice of right, left, double, or right
and left cross-slaps in his arsenal. Turn-
ing of the head and variations in timing
are also important strategic consider-
ations. The defender may withdraw his
hands in different directions or planes.
and at different times, to confuse the
offensive player.
Rock-Scissors-Paper. Rock-Scissors-
Paper may be played in pairs or trios.
Three hand positions are involved:
Rock, symbolized by clenched fists;
Scissors, represented by the index and
second fingers only, extended in the
shape of a scissors; and Paper, both
hands held flat with all fingers extended.
Three rules of precedence determine
victory, loss, or draw: Rock smashes
Scissors, Scissors cuts Paper, Paper
covers Rock; in other words, each hand
position defeats and loses to one of the
other two, and draws with itself.
The players sit facing each other,
and, when ready, the hands are placed
and withdrawn twice simultaneously
from the table or floor. The third si-
multaneous placing is a "showdown,"
and hands are left in the center of the
playing area, in one of the three play-
ing positions. The winner becomes ap-
parent, and exacts a penalty from the
loser or losers with a two-fingered slap
on fleshy forearm, or on the forehead.
Rock-Scissors-Paper may be played in
regular fashion, with both hands show-
ing the same symbol or "splits." in
which two dilTcrciil combinations may
be given in the same game.
34
RECREATION
Button-Button. "Button, button,
who's got the button?" is a group
guessing game involving deception and
alertness. It is best played in a group
of ten to fifteen participants. The game
is of German origin.
Equipment used in this game is a
long thread, string, or cord, tied at the
ends; and a button, small spool, or
other object with a hole in the center
through which the cord passes. The
object must slide freely along the cord
and be easily concealed in a fist.
To organize play, a Leader and an
It are chosen. The players sit on the
floor in a circle, with the It in the cen-
ter. The Leader is also a member of
the circle. The string or cord passes
through the laps of the members of the
circle, who hold it in their fists. The
Leader is in possession of the button.
The activity commences when the
Leader passes the button from his fist
into that of the player on either side.
The button is then transferred from
player to player, with its location kept
secret from the It if possible. Faking
of passing and possession is permissi-
ble. When the Leader feels the It is
thoroughly confused, he calls out, "But-
ton, button, who's got the button?" Af-
ter this, all movement and faking of the
button ceases, and the It is compelled
lo guess the button's location. He
chooses a likely player, who must show
the button if in his possession. If the
It has guessed correctly, he changes
places and roles with the player whom
he has caught. In event of a wrong
guess, It remains in the center; and the
player holding the button becomes a
new Leader.
Indian. Indian is a memory activity
played by means of signs made with
hands and fingers. It is suited to groups
of from six to fifteen. Members stand
in a circle, and each, in turn, demon-
strates and explains his or her Indian
Sign. The Indian Signs are hand-and-
finger portrayals of some phase of In-
dian life, such as a bow-shooting posi-
tion, wearing of feathered headdress,
delivering a war whoop, making the
sign of peace, waving a tomahawk, and
so on. Each member of the group is
given a chance to show his own sign
and to observe that of every other.
To begin, one member of the group
is chosen Chief. When all are ready,
the Chief gives his own sign, followed
by that of one other player. The player
whose sign was given immediately re-
peats his own sign and gives that of any
other player, except that of the Chief,
who preceded him. The third player
immediately repeats his sign, and gives
that of a fourth player, who must like-
wise repeat and give a new sign, and
so on, until the last player is reached.
The last player repeats his sign and
gives that of the Chief, and the game,
or round, is completed.
Very rarely does play go all the way
around in this manner, as someone in-
variably forgets the remaining signs or
gives one that has already been used.
In this event, the person breaking the
continuity is declared Goat, and after
being "scalped," or penalized in some
manner, becomes Chief for the next
game. Players should be encouraged
to speed up play, as the faster the signs
are given the more pressure is put on
the memory.
Pease Porridge Hot. Pease Porridge
Hot is a hand-clapping activity involv-
ing memory and reaction time. It is
played in pairs. This game requires
recitation of the old familiar nursery
rhyme at an accelerating tempo, prefer-
ably by a third party.
To organize play, the group is di-
vided into pairs, in any manner desired.
If an odd number is present, a particu-
lar individual is designated Caller; if
the group is even-numbered, different
members alternate as Caller. Members
of each pair stand or sit facing each
other about three feet apart.
The game is played by means of a
series of clapping actions, synchronized
with the words of the rhyme. The se-
quence of claps and words is boxed.
To begin a game, the Caller recites
the rhyme at a slow pace, and all pairs
execute the prescribed claps in cadence.
Succeeding repetitions of the rhyme be-
come faster and faster, until the Caller
can no longer say the words at an in-
creasing rate of speed. When this oc-
curs, he becomes silent, and the pairs
increase the speed of their clapping, if
this is possible, at their own rate.
Victory is determined, within indi-
vidual pairs, when a player misses, or
executes a wrong clap. The offender
must drop out of that game, and admit
defeat. The winner within the pair that
lasts the longest is the champion of the
entire group. After several games, it is
desirable to swap opponents with a
nearby pair. This game is an excellent
icebreaker for a mixer, using couples.
Sequence of Words and Claps for Pease, Porridge, Hot.
WORDS: Pease
porridge
hot,
CLAPS: (1) own hands on
(2) own hands together,
(3) both hands to opponent's,
own thighs
chest height
chest height
Pease
porridge
cold,
(4) own hands on
(5) own hands together,
(6) both hands to opponent's,
own thighs
chest height
chest height
Pease porridge
in the pot nine
days old,
(7) thighs (8) together
(9) own right to (10) together
(11) own (12) both
opponent's
left to to
right
opponent's both
left
Some
like it
hot,
(13) thighs
(14) together
(15) both to both
Some
like it
cold,
(16) thighs
(17) togther
(18) both to both
Some like it
in the pot nine
days old.
(19) thighs (20) together
(21) rights (22) together
(23) lefts (24) both
to both
JANUARY 1960
35
Paul Opperman
THE
COMPETITION
FOR LAND..,
How It Affects
Recreation
Exploding Cities and Regions
WE ARE ACCUSTOMED these days to dramatic phrases
and startling statistics affecting our communities.
I hope we do not become insensitive to their mean-
ing simply because they are repeated so often and so vigor-
ously, at all times and on all occasions.
A friend who visited Chicago recently left a report with
me on recreation that included some of the most startling
population forecasts I have seen. In the report's quoted
United States Census population forecast for 1975 is a high
national figure of 228,500,000. The high forecast for the
year 2000 is 300,000,000, the low is 245,000,000. A fore-
cast for the year 2050 has a low of 300,000,000, a mean of
375,000,000, and a high forecast of 450,000,000 inhabitants.
This report also contained a table on recreation use of
California's national parks and forests, with projections into
the year 2050. In 1946 there were 23,000,000 actual visitor
days; in 1955, 35,500,000. The estimate for 1975 is 109,-
000,000 visitor days. All figures included highway users.
The 1975 estimated figure cited is, of course, three times
the 1955 figure. The projection to the year 2050 is 450,-
000,000 visitor days!
Taking Stock
Some of you will remember that students and practition-
ers of both recreation and planning benefited from the fact-
gathering and analysis that went on during the days of the
depression in the mid-1930's. That was a quarter of a cen-
tury ago. The picture of recreation in the United States
was very sobering by today's standards and so was that of
city planning. Measured against the conditions today, it
can be truly said that the record of those earlier years jus-
tifies the queries: Did we then have a recreation program?
Did we have any city planning in those days?
There are some heartening signs at the present time in
MR. OPPERMAN is executive director of the Northeastern
Illinois Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, Chicago.
The article is a condensation of a paper he presented at the
41st National Recreation Congress held in Chicago, 1959.
36
Metropolitan areas mean high concentrations of people
and high concentrations of land-and-improvement values.
the growth and acceptance of your field and mine, even if
we admit to one another that today the tasks assigned rec-
reation people, and to planners as well, seem almost over-
whelming. All these years the National Recreation Asso-
ciation and its affiliated persons and organizations have
been at work developing the concepts of today's far-flung
recreation "empire" (forgive the word). The Association
has been developing a strong corps of professional and lay
leadership; it has been formulating principles and stand-
ards and testing them in countless operating programs. Very
distinguished performances have been turned in by indi-
viduals, by communities, by many recreation departments.
and, of course, some are not up to par. Generally there is I
real sophistication in recreation today in knowing the
problems, in tackling the "market demand," a demand that
is tremendous and one growing without any signs of letup. I
The resources and conservation people support planning
and recreation objectives and programs. They have been
loyal allies over the years and have been coming closer as
the country and time and distance have been shrinking. The
work of the Resources for the Future organization is a case
in point.
The recent establishment of the National Outdoor Rec-
reation Resources Review Commission, under the chairman-
ship of Laurance Rockefeller, following Congressional ac-
tion in the fall of 1958 is, in the words of Marion Clawson:
"An encouraging sign of a human nationwide concern, and
of a comprehensive new approach to the recreation prob-
lem." There are other significant developments.
A valuable report entitled A User Resource Recreation
Planning Method, first of several reports of the Nations
Advisory Council on Regional Recreation Planning, wa
issued last summer. A state report, published in 1956 bj
the California Committee on Planning for Recreation, Par
Areas and Facilities, is entitled Guide for Planning Recrea-
tion Parks in California: a Basis for Determining Local Rec
reation Space Standards.
The recreation publication to which I referred earlier,
and from which I took the estimates (Appendix A) to
year 2050. is the consultants' report to the California
RECREATIOP
ii
In these places the struggle over who is to acquire what
land for what purposes reaches its most explosive form.
partment of Water Resources, concerning investigations of
the Upper Feather River Basin Development. The study's
full title is : Recreational Benefits from Upper Feather River
Basin Development. Time does not permit detailed refer-
ence to any of these publications.
Planning
Accompanying urbanization, the rapid growth of urban
populations especially during the last decade the field
of physical or area planning, official planning of cities and
of entire metropolitan regions (to a more limited extent,
state planning also) has shown tremendous expansion, and
some marked changes in technique and program emphasis.
The working relationships of planning agencies and recre-
ation agencies also seem, happily, to have progressed. I
cite my personal experience as city planner of San Francisco
from 1949 to 1958 and what I observed in California as at
least partial evidence and support of this view.
Competition for Land
The competition for land is universally evident on the
part of all governments, federal and state, throughout our
metropolitan areas, in our counties, among the tens of thou-
sands of incorporated municipalities, not to mention the
very substantial number of special district governments.
Conspicuous examples of this are lands required by the
federal interregional highway program supposedly equal in
land area to all the currently occupied urban areas of the
country today. There are civil airport requirements, greatly
augmented by the advent of the Jet Age.
So far I have not mentioned recreation. No reference
has been made to a vastly expanding urban population, on
which the spotlight is placed more and more frequently to-
day in reference to nearly 180 metropolitan areas, the con-
stellations of American cities in which practically all pop-
ulation growth and urban expansion is currently taking
place and is expected to continue occurring.
Let us focus on these, where the land competition is more
intense than anywhere else. Here are the high concentra-
tions of people and the high concentrations of land-and-
improvement values. In these places the struggle over who
is to use what land for what purpose reaches its most intense
form.
Planning and the Recreation Program
I see community planning figuring prominently among
the approaches to the problem of managing and regulating
competition for land that exists everywhere in our com-
munities. The land requirements of all federal government
agencies and of all the agencies and departments of the
state governments are met and are served "on the ground,"
in one of the counties of these same states. In perhaps the
overwhelming majority of cases, likewise within an in-
corporated municipality those of the largest population
and area down to some very small units indeed the federal
and state government have no other place to go to acquire
land for their purposes.
This being a readily established fact, each of the local
units of government should have an official plan to guide
any growth, development, or land-use changes; as a device
to enable it to have a basis upon which to negotiate, or
arbitrate with an "outside public agency." Or it can simply
be used as an aid in refereeing the question of how the
city's land, over which the city or the county government
has jurisdiction, representing its citizens, is to be used. The
bulk of a community's land is, of course, privately owned
land. The local government regulates its use and is charged
with ensuring its continued usefulness and value, and its
planning powers are for this purpose.
Most of the metropolitan areas of the United States con-
sist of a single county, one central city, plus a number of
cities, towns, and villages of lesser importance. Metropoli-
tan areas of the largest dimensions may comprise hundreds
of local governments and thousands of square miles of
land. Such an area is the Northeastern Illinois area. It
can supply many suitable illustrations of the competition
for land, which is fairly general, and which has its familiar
aspects, locally. Chicago is the central city of the six-county
Northeastern Illinois metropolitan area, now containing
nearly six million people. It measures thirty-seven hundred
square miles, or about a third the size of Holland, a country
with twice this area's present population.
In twenty years or less it is expected that three million
people will be added to the present population of these six
counties the equivalent of the population of Detroit and
Cleveland. This new population will need a lot of housing;
to go with the homes, we must build a lot of schools and
hospitals; three millions more will take a lot of recreation
area. The expanded metropolitan area will bring some ad-
ditional heavy concentrations of traffic.
A crude and oversimple way of graphically highlighting
the competition for land ahead, in meeting the needs of an
additional three million people, expected to be added in
twenty years, might be so stated. Estimate the amount of
land needed for:
industrial expansion, likewise for commercial districts;
JANUARY 1960
37
housing, and for community facilities that go with hous-
ing such as schools, parks, recreation areas;
municipal, county, state, and federal administrative serv-
ices and institutional needs, found in all jurisdictions;
all transportation needs, including freight railroads, com-
muting services, highways, local streets, airports major
and minor rights of way and easements for all utilities,
waterways, all sorts of terminals, and parking;
flood control and drainage, for water supply and waste
disposal.
Then add up these estimates, on the basis of measures
and standards of land use applicable to each category of
land, and allocate them to the total vacant land remaining
in the metropolitan area.
Crude and over-simple estimating and allocating of land
by land-use categories or functions and in relation to time
periods is, however, not the same thing as comprehensive
planning for communities or metropolitan areas. It will
not suffice to identify clearly and correctly the needs of
groups of land users competitors for land including that
representing recreation. Fortunately, the last quarter cen-
tury, perhaps especially the last decade of it, has seen the
development of improved ways of doing business in your
field and mine and others. The changes have brought meas-
ureable advances in public understanding and support both
of the need to plan and program city and regional develop-
ment, including recreation planning, from the local levels
to the national ones, whichever level you start from.
I should like to undertake to discuss, in somewhat more
specific terms, some uses of the physical planning programs
designated city planning and metropolitan planning. I will
attempt to relate this general planning to recreation plan-
ning at the municipal and metropolitan levels, adding a
footnote or two on the planning of the resource-area type,
which is becoming increasingly important to the broad na-
tional picture of recreation.
Making the Plans and Implementing Them
City and recreation planning in San Francisco is a good
example of city planning and one with which I am familiar
because I was director of planning. The following good
definition appears in Guide for Planning Recreation Parks
in California :
Master Plan or General Plan. A unified, long-range, com-
prehensive, general (rather than detailed) scheme to guide
the future physical development of a city, county, planning
area, or metropolitan region. The plan designates official
policy concerning the proposed general distribution and
general location and extent of the uses of the land for hous-
ing, business, industry, recreation, education, public build-
ings and grounds, and other categories of public and private
uses of land; it relates to the designated uses of the land,
the general location and extent of existing and proposed ma-
jor thoroughfares, transportation routes, terminals, and other
major public utilities and facilities; and it establishes stand-
ards of population density and building intensity for the
various areas included in the territory covered by the plan.
Integral with the plan are the maps, diagrams, charts, and
descriptive matter necessary for its proper understanding.
Working with the recreation and park department of
San Francisco, the city-planning department first prepared
a report on a plan for the location of parks and recreation
areas in San Francisco. This report was the research basis
of the adopted citywide recreation -park plan, an element of
the city's master plan, directed toward the fulfillment of
two major objectives: (1) the provision of areas for active
and passive recreation for all age groups, equitably distrib-
uted throughout the city; and (2) the protection, provision,
and enhancement of areas of natural scenic beauty, and the
provision of open landscaped areas equitably distributed
throughout the city. The plan was adopted after public
hearings and is being carried out.
Implementation of the plan is aided by the six-year capi-
tal improvement program, long in operation in that city.
This provides that city departments annually submit their
programs for six years ahead. Each project included is
reported by the planning department as in conformity or
not in conformity with the city plan. The city council relies
upon these reports and rarely takes an action in opposition.
Some Concluding Thoughts
Recreation is very hard pressed in the present and con-
tinuing competition for land. The recreation movement
has millions upon millions of supporters. In the years and
decades ahead recreation, like planning, must have clear
objectives and effective leadership. The pros can be counted
upon to work away as a dedicated group, to try hard to
perform their technical and administrative functions and
work assignments to the satisfaction of the public we serve.
Far more important in meeting the challenge of the com-
petition for land than those of us who have full-time ca-
reers at these tasks is a well-informed citizenry, a strong,
informed, and courageous lay leadership. This leadership
should have specific programs to work for. Recreation pro-
grams can be very tangible, can be made to lend themselves
effectively to concerted campaigns to establish recreation's
claims in this competition if official plans of the various
jurisdictions have been competently prepared, officially
adopted by their governments. Through such administra-
tive leverage as is provided in the land-use plans, zoning,
firm policies, and land-subdivision dedications or cash con-
tributions, specified in state law and local ordinance, in
capital improvement programing, through the use of public
powers of acquisition (including excess condemnation),
acquisition of easements and developments rights, the rec-
reation program featured in such plans is kept clearly in
public view and is integrated with official plans and annual
appropriations of the public jurisdictions.
The recreation program of the country, like the planning
program, is moving steadily toward a more comprehensive
approach now emerging in national, state, county, and mu-
nicipal administration because it has everywhere a "related-
ness" to all other aspects of city and regional development.
There are abundant signs that this type of thinking is in-
creasing its popular appeal, is widening its support, and
is finding its way into program and into administration.
Somewhat as an aside may I conclude by saying that \ our
group and the one I have attempted to represent in these
remarks should hang together, so that in the conipi-lition
for land our competitors do not hang us separately. #
38
RECREATION
There is always excitement at the monthly birthday party in the children's pavilion.
Recreation Comes to Warm Springs
OUTDOOR songfests, square
dancing, Sunday afternoon band
concerts, parties and other interesting
activities are now a part of the fare for
patients at the Georgia Warm Springs
Foundation, for a recreation depart-
ment was added to its medical services
in January 1957.
According to Clara S. Simon, recrea-
tion director, individual bedside activi-
ties are scheduled during the day to
dovetail with the patient's treatment
periods, and group activities in after-
treatment hours evenings, weekends,
and holidays. The program is designed
to bring a normal atmosphere to an ab-
normal situation.
Staff and volunteers presenting the
program have the use of a modern thea-
ter, recreation room, outdoor facilities,
and portable equipment. All activities
are, of course, adapted to meet indi-
vidual or group limitations. At the
present, there is a marked increase in
referrals from the medical staff for in-
dividual, specialized recreation needs.
These special needs stem from the fact
that Warm Springs patients have a
longer than average hospitalization
(more than fifty-nine days) and/or
some degree of emotional disturbance.
In order to provide varied diversion
for the patients and staff of this rather
isolated foundation, the recreation de-
partment sometimes schedules perform-
ances of professional entertainment in
the theater or, when weather permits,
on the outdoor "campus," and sched-
ules movies as well.
After dismissal, nostalgic notes of
appreciation are received from patients
and parents; and there seems to be no
doubt that the addition of this to the
other services offered at Warm Springs
has been more than justified. $:
HEARING-IMPAIRED CHILDREN
MANY CHILDREN with handicaps
are perplexed when they are
rejected from participating in
community recreation and social pro-
grams provided for the nonhandicap-
ped. They are rejected by leaders and
''normal" youngsters, either because of
iheir handicap or inability to partici-
pate in existing programs.
The Baltimore Hearing Society be-
came particularly concerned about the
need for accepting hearing-impaired
children in camp, Scout, and recrea-
tion programs. In April 1955, after
approval of the need by a Baltimore
Council of Social Agencies' study and
with the financial support of the Com-
munity Chest, the society began a five-
year demonstration recreation project
for the purpose of integrating deaf,
hard-of-hearing, and aphasic children
with hearing youngsters, in camping,
JANUARY 1960
scouting, and recreation activities.
The demonstration project has just
completed its third year; at present
more than one hundred children are
participating with hearing youngsters.
Camp, Scout, and recreation personnel,
once informed of the important need
for these children who have severe au-
ditory and language disorders to be-
come part of the hearing world, have
performed an outstanding service by
including them in existing programs.
For many of these one hundred chil-
dren, the recreation therapist of the
society has established "readiness" pro-
grams that were conducted in the heallli
agency setting. These programs were
designed to teach children basic rec-
reation and related communication
skills, either individually or in a group.
Once these skills were learned and the
society staff had a thorough knowledge
of the children's capabilities, they were
placed in existing community recre-
ation and camping activities.
The society, at this time, believes
strongly that the project should become
a community program, which would
serve not only the hearing-impaired,
but all children with handicaps. It is
convinced, however, that a recreation
therapist should become a permanent
member of the society staff. Such a staff
member should also be included in other
health agencies to provide the neces-
sary "readiness" programs so children
with handicaps will be afforded the nec-
cessary preparation before moving into
their respective communities to parti-
cipate with the nonhandicapped.
RALPH DOMBRO, of the Baltimore Hear-
ing Society in the third annual report,
Hearing-Impaired Children in Recrea-
tion and Camping Programs.
39
RESEARCH
REVIEWS AND ABSTRACTS
Assistance Needed for Research Project
As every recreation professional person knows, there are
no instruments now available that can predict an indivi-
dual's potential in recreation leadership. It is the purpose
of this research project to identify traits of successful rec-
reation leaders and to develop instruments useful to rec-
reation administrators in hiring personnel, to colleges and
universities, which are training leaders, to directors of
in-service training programs, in better diagnosing the needs
of their employees, and to guidance counselors in helping
youth to decide whether the recreation profession is for
them. The help of the entire profession is needed to under-
take successfully a research project to develop these pre-
dictive measurement instruments.
To develop job applicant screening tests, municipal de-
partments are needed, willing to administer a short-form
test to job applicants and then, later, rate on a scale pro-
vided, the quality of work of the applicants employed and
indicate why others were not employed.
Hospital recreation departments may help by conducting
an exploratory aptitude inventory among their employees
and rating the quality of leadership of each. After analysis
of the exploratory form to determine traits significant for
success, additional aid will be needed as described for
municipal departments.
To make possible a longitudinal study designed to deter-
mine traits of potentially successful recreation leaders at
various stages in their preparation, colleges and universi-
ties with major programs are needed to minister a battery
of tests to their freshmen and secure high-school informa-
tion ; administer in the senior year the same battery to these
same majors and secure college academic and extracurricu-
lar information; and aid in follow-up of such majors after
they have been on the job several years, administering the
same battery, securing information on community activities,
and obtaining a quality rating of their work.
To work on keys for present vocational tests and explore
other possibilities, persons interested in research and in
undertaking other phases of the study are needed; there
are some good thesis and dissertation topics available. Self-
attitude tests, Q-technique, forced-choice tests, and other
methods of success determination need to be explored for
the recreation field. Perhaps you are already working in
this field; we would be happy to hear about it.
To finance the costs of printing, mailing, and statistical
analysis, foundations and persons interested in the advance-
ment of the profession through research are also encour-
eged to participate in this project.
Anyone interested in helping or who has suggestions
about this project is encouraged to write codirectors Dr.
Shirley Kammeyer, Sacramento State College, Sacramento,
California, or Dr. Betty van der Smissen, State University
of Iowa. Iowa City, Iowa.
Citizens Advisory Committees Useful
A study of practices of Citizens Advisory Committees
in Public Recreation was conducted by Laura J. Weckwerth
as a partial requirement for a master's degree at the Uni-
versity of Illinois. The study was confined to recreation
committees in school and recreation departments in the
New York Metropolitan region. One of the major findings
was that, in spite of the difficulties encountered in their
relationships with the committees, almost all recreation ex-
ecutives and committee chairmen said they anticipated con-
tinued use of the citizens advisory committees.
The major recommendations that grew out of the study
follow :
1. An adequate written policy statement should be es-
tablished for the committee, reviewed frequently, and agreed
upon and clearly understood by all concerned.
2. The board's responsibility ought also to be clearly
understood. The board should either accept the advice of
the committee and act upon it or explain why it has not.
3. New members should be formally oriented to the com-
mittee.
4. The committee's work should be periodically evaluated
in terms of its objectives.
5. More time could profitably be spent in committee
meetings on policy discussion so the committee could give
careful and valuable counsel, recommendations, and infor-
mation to the appointive board and the executive.
6. The recreation executive interested in having an ef-
fective citizens advisory committee must devote the nec-
essary amount of time and effort to doing his part and ought
to familiarize himself with the principles and practices of
effective committee operation.
National Forests and Their Recreation Resources
The United States Forest Service has published a \vork
plan for its survey of the outdoor recreation resources of
national forests. The survey is directed toward obtaining
the information needed in planning the recreation aspects
of its own program, but much of the information obtained
will also be useful to the Outdoor Recreation Resources
Review Commission.
Five separate tasks are to be accomplished in making the
study :
1. Projections of future demand for recreation on the
40
RECREATION
national forests will be developed for the base years 1966,
1976, and 2000.
2. Converting factors will be developed so that recrea-
tion demand in visits and visitor-days can be expressed in
acres, sites, areas, or resource requirements needed to ac-
commodate satisfactorily the projected demand for recre-
ation on the national forests. ,
3. An inventory will be made to determine the amount,
kind, quality, and location of available and suitable recre-
ation lands administered by the Forest Service and usable
waters related thereto.
4. National forest recreation resources and opportunities
located and described by the inventory will be compared
with projected demands to determine how the suitable and
available lands can be best utilized to serve anticipated
needs by the years 1976 and 2000; also to what extent the
recreation resources can provide for the different kinds of
recreation demands in those years.
5. Present policies and programs will be reviewed in the
light of the study findings and recommendations will be
made for a recreation program to include : ( 1 ) modification
of present policies or adoption of new policies for the pro-
tection and administration of the outdoor recreation re-
sources; (2) developments and services needed, with es-
timated costs, to meet the projected recreation demands in
1976 and 2000; (3) research needs in the recreation field;
and (4) procedure for keeping the recreation view current
in the future. Work Plan for National Forest Recreation
Study, August 1959.
Use of Schools for Community Recreation
In the report A Study of Recreation in Kentucky, pre-
pared by Charlie Vettiner, the reluctance of some school
principals to permit school buildings to be used for recrea-
tion by community groups is discussed. Mr. Vettiner re-
ports that a survey made by the principals of 23 schools in
Jefferson County, following the close of the winter program,
revealed that 164,098 men, women, and children had used
the buildings and that damage amounted to $82.50 or an
average of $3.44 per center. This damage was not paid for
by the school board but by the community recreation com-
mittees.
New Center for Urban Studies
A Joint Center for Urban Studies has been established
by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard
University through a grant of $675,000 from the Ford
Foundation for the initial financing of the center's program.
The aim of the project, according to President Stratton of
MIT, is "to establish an international center for advanced
research, for documentation, and for stimulating interuni-
versity efforts and collaboration in the urban field." It is
designed to serve as a center with extensive research op-
portunities for eminent scholars on the faculties of the two
institutions.
Among the problems of initial interest to the Joint Center
are comparative analyses of cities; urban growth and struc-
ture; methods of public and private control over urban
change; social values and the community; urban design;
and decision making and the planning process in metropoli-
tan communities. The principal responsibility of the center
will be basic research, the findings of which will be made
available through published materials. Professor Martin
Meyerson, Williams Professor of City Planning and Urban
Research, and director of Harvard's present Center for Ur-
ban Studies, has been appointed director of the joint center.
Another project, involving a $900,000 grant by the Ford
Foundation, is making possible the preparation of a com-
prehensive development program for eleven counties in
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Parks and rec-
reation comprise one of the aspects of the survey project,
which is known as Penjerdel.
Physical Education Facilities in Schools
A bulletin entitled Physical Education in Early Elemen-
tary Schools, issued in 1959 by the United States Depart-
ment of Health, Education, and Welfare, reports on the
status of physical education for elementary-school-age chil-
dren in city school systems. This information is based upon
replies received from 532 school systems, representing a
total of 12,217 schools. In view of the increasing use of
the school plant for community recreation, the following
findings are of special interest.
Of the 12,217 elementary school buildings, 6,584, or 54
percent, are reported to have excellent or adequate gym-
nasiums or playrooms. Of this number 34 percent are gym-
nasiums and 20 percent playrooms. Indoor swimming pools
are found in 110 of the schools, or less than one percent of
the total; 50 percent of these are located in schools in the
eastern district.
Five thousand nine hundred school sites, or 48 percent
of the total, provide excellent or adequate all-weather play
area; 47 percent have a basketball court, 14 percent a
baseball field, 53 percent a Softball field, 24 percent a soccer
field, 44 percent a volleyball court. Only four percent, or
466 schools, include tennis courts. Less than 25 percent
of the school sites have such developmental equipment as
horizontal bars and ladders.
Forty-nine percent of the school systems reporting in-
dicated that community facilities are used to obtain more
adequate space for physical education; 84 percent of them
state that physical education facilities are used by the com-
munity in out-of-school hours during the school year and
63 percent that school physical education facilities are used
by the community during vacation periods.
Copies of the bulletin are available from the Superin-
tendent of Documents, United States Government Printing
Office, Washington 25, D. C., for forty-five cents each.
On the Ball
According to a release from the National Golf Founda-
tion, golf courses of all types increased in number from
4,901 in 1948 to 5,745 in 1958. During this ten-year period
the population of the United States increased by 19 percent
whereas the total number of golfers playing at least ten
rounds a year increased by nearly 45 percent. Total golf
equipment sales, based on factory selling prices, increased
by 98.5 percent during this ten-year period. The Golf
Beat, Julv 1959.
JANUARY 1960
41
NOTES
for the
Administrator
Maintenance of Community Quality
Some two hundred public officials and citizens represent-
ing communities in Westchester County, New York, met
with the county executive to discuss "Local and County
Responsibilities for Public Recreation." Dr. Sal J. Prezi-
oso, superintendent of the County Recreation Commission,
set the tone for the meeting when he said:
Here in Westchester County neither county gov-
ernment nor any of the local communities can af-
ford to go it alone on matters pertaining to recrea-
tion planning and administration. Neither can we
in this day and age properly and effectively do our
work via the long-distance lines of communica-
tion.
Commenting on the need for acquiring and planning
areas Hugh R. Pomeroy, county planning director, stated:
Provision of land for parks and recreation has
an importance to the community well beyond the
value of the land for the particular park or recrea-
tion function to which it is assigned, in that this
land constitutes part of the open space of the com-
munity. The maintenance of community quality
and the protection of property values depend in
substantial degree, and in increasing measure, on
the provision of ample areas of open space.
To repeat something that we have often said, it
is the land that is off the tax rolls for community
purposes that is responsible for most of the values
that are on the tax rolls. Open space as such,
where it contributes to the maintenance of com-
munity quality, in accordance with comprehensive
community planning, falls in this category.
County population is outstripping park acquisition in
Westchester County as in many other metropolitan areas.
Charles E. Pound, county park superintendent, stated that
between 1922 and 1932 approximately seventeen thousand
acres of land were acquired for county park and parkway
purposes, or an average of 18.6 acres per 1,000 population.
Today this acreage represents only 12.6 acres per one
thousand persons. Constant increase, however, was reported
in the park attendance and in the use of special facilities,
such as golf courses.
William L. Foley, president of the County Recreation
Executives Association, commented on the degree to which
localities have fallen behind in their capital projects. He
added:
It may very well be that if recreation on the local
level continues to find itself on the bottom of the
priority list we will have to look to the county gov-
ernment for the facilities we need.
Edward Michaelian, county executive, outlined the fol-
lowing pressing problems in the county that he considered
resulted from a lack of continuing communication between
42
county and local officials responsible for recreation plan-
ning and policy making:
Development of better coordination between
county and local park, planning, and recreation
officials; realization that local and county govern-
ment retain present park and recreation lands as
well as acquire additional lands for future devel-
opment, as indicated by growth factors; a need
for officials to set aside sufficient funds for capital
projects required to meet future plans and to make
budgetary provision therefor; a reappraisal of our
overall recreation policies relating to the responsi-
bilities of local and county government: collab-
oration in developing an overall recreation master
plan in each of the communities and for the
county, including the integration of local plans
into the master plan ; finally, adoption of a sound
policy of public relations.
In conclusion, he strongly urged that local and county
officials concerned with recreation continue to meet fre-
quently and understand mutual recreation interests.
Golf Courses in Subdivisions
The recreation, esthetic, and economic values resulting
from a golf course planned as a part of a large residential
development are pointed out as follows in a bulletin pub-
lished by the Urban Land Institute of Washington, D. C.:
The golf course is an asset to the real estate sub-
division in many ways. Its aesthetic qualities not
only heighten the initial value of the land immedi-
ately adjacent to and in the general vicinity of the
course, but also tend to maintain heightened prop-
erty values and to stabilize them over a long pe-
riod of time. Because of this linkage between resi-
dential lots and a golf course, the course creates
additional value for such lots and increases their
marketability. This increased value has been esti-
mated at approximately $2,000 for an average lot.
How to Obtain Additional Revenue
Park and recreation authorities are continually seeking
additional sources of revenue in order to meet increasing
demand for recreation facilities and services. Hialeah, Flor-
ida, for example, has approved capital improvements for
parks and playgrounds to cover a four-year period, the ex-
pense to be met through a five percent utility tax. Sanford.
Florida, has completed two new facilities: a new civic center
with youth wing and a Negro swimming pool paid for
through a bond issue to be retired from power franchise
receipts (see RECREATION, December 1959, Page 436, for
photograph and further information regarding the cine
center) . Among the many facilities recently constructed in
Fort Lauderdale. Florida, are two contemporary apparatus
areas installed with the help of two local civic groups.
A small community near Yakima. Washington, has an
unusual method of raising funds to help meet the cost of
operating a community building. All of the farmers in the
area agreed to donate the apples from one of their trees:
the people pick and sell the apples and turn the money over
to the building fund. #
RECREATION
LISTENINQ AND VIEWINQ
A Group Picture Program
for Neuropsychiatric Patients
Most hospital libraries sponsor group
programs for neuropsychiatric patients
with the aim of stimulating use of the
library and thus aiding the resocializa-
tion of patients. Various programs have
been developed, such as discussions,
reading aloud, contests, and showing of
films, filmstrips. and slides.
When such a program was initiated
at the Veterans Administration Hospi-
tal. Leech Farm Road, Pittsburgh, in
February 1956, the use of filmstrips
and slides was decided upon as best
suited to the needs of the patients, and
most adaptable to the schedule. Sixteen
groups of closed-ward patients made a
weekly visit to the library, for a one-
hour period. Some liked all such pro-
grams and took seats near the screen as
soon as they entered the library ; others
participated only in those of interest to
them.
In order not to disturb readers, the
program was held in one corner of the
library where blinds are drawn and
lights turned out. A librarian operated
the projector, commented on the pic-
tures, and asked questions. At first, a
comprehensive coverage of the subject
was attempted, but comments pertain-
ing to each individual picture proved
more effective. Whenever the subject of
a program is a geographic area, the
librarian inquired whether anyone pres-
ent was familiar with it and invited him
to participate.
Books on the subject under discus-
sion were first displayed on a peg board
near the screen. However, as patients
seemed reluctant to disturb displays,
even when urged to do so, such material
was then displayed on a library table
and thus used more freely. Books on
display during this period were avail-
able for loan the succeeding week.
Each program was held for one week
for all wards, but comments were modi-
fied to meet patients' needs. They were
simplified for regressed patients and
made more complex for the ones in
good contact.
Most patients spoke up whenever one
aspect of the program interested them.
During a showing of the filmstrip Moby
Dick, patients asked about the length
of time a whale can stay under water,
whether it is true that a whale can de-
stroy a wooden ship, and whether there
is international cooperation in the whal-
ing industry. A patient seeing slides of
government buildings in Washington,
D. C., became interested in Greek archi-
tecture and spent a library period read-
ing about it. During a showing of the
filmstrip Japan Today, the librarian
stated that Japan ranks next to Great
Britain as the world's largest shipbuild-
er. A patient who had, until then, re-
mained silent, questioned this statement
and was induced to consult reference
books. Another patient did not react
to a filmstrip about the national forests
until he saw a picture of a ranger using
a surveying instrument to determine the
exact location of a forest fire. He re-
marked that he had used a similar in-
strument as a member of a tank crew.
He then read up on surveying instru-
ments for two succeeding library peri-
ods. One who had never previously
participated in a program, volunteered
to identify American and foreign states-
men during a showing of The U.S. and
Its Alliances.
Two programs utilizing slides and
filmstrips of animals were among the
most successful. Many patients partici-
pated for the first time, identifying ani-
mals, making comments, and asking
questions. One patient displayed an
amazing knowledge of birds and was
complimented on it. Since then he has
been persuaded to borrow books on the
outdoors occasionally. During a pro-
gram about New York, the discussion
became so lively that the librarian
found it best not to speak at all and
limited himself to operating the pro-
jector.
A good many filmstrips are produced
for use in schools, and manuals are
supplied with them so some of the facts
needed for presenting a program are
easily available. However, it takes some
effort to formulate comments that will
arouse interest and also to decide on
the proper time to make them.
During a showing of a filmstrip Port
of New York, the best chance to men-
tion the Dutch origin of some street
names occurred when a photo of a
Dutch engraving of New Amsterdam
was shown. The librarian remarked
that New York was already quite large
at that time and then explained how
Broadway and Wall Street were named.
When a picture of a crane operator at
one of the wharves was shown, it was
mentioned that one out of eight persons
living in New York earns his livelihood
in shipping or allied occupations. When
a picture of an ocean liner was on the
screen, the librarian stated that every
twenty-two minutes a ship leaves or en-
ters New York harbor.
It is essential to avoid a schoolroom
atmosphere, as many neuropsychiatric
patients are oversensitive and tend to
resent anyone not treating them as in-
telligent adults. Therefore, the librarian
must be very careful making comments
and go out of his way in showing a will-
ingness to be contradicted or corrected.
Once the projector, screen, and a
small stock of filmstrips and slides had
been purchased, the cost of the program
proved slight as the bulk of the material
used is lent, free of charge, by the Penn-
sylvania State Library. The New York
Times filmstrips on current affairs are
purchased on a subscription basis, and
a small number of newly published film-
strips are bought occasionally. While
the service given by the Pennsylvania
State Library is excellent and could not
be improved upon, it is necessary to
own a small stock of material and not
depend entirely on loans. There are
occasional obstacles, such as ordering
an unsuitable filmstrip, based on an un-
clear title, or a shipment may be delayed
in the mail.
While group programs have not
greatly augmented circulation, they
have led to a considerable increase in
use of library books. They have stimu-
lated interest, induced many patients to
speak up in a group situation, and
helped them in their resocialization.
HENRY DREIFUSS, chief librarian, Vet-
erans Administration Hospital, 408
First Avenue, New York 10.
JANUARY 1960
43
MARKET
NEWS
For further information regarding
any of these products, write directly
to the manufacturer. Please mention
that you saw it in RECREATION.
Jean Wachtel
A small, silent, automatic
night electronic watchman has
been developed by Energy Kon-
trols to protect buildings and
property from vandals and
prowlers at night. The Protect-
0-Lite is an automatic light-
control switch activated by the
presence or absence of light,
turning on electric power or lights at night and off at dawn.
Requiring no installation or maintenance, it is almost ideal
for guarding recreation buildings and installations, com-
munity centers, and the like. You simply plug into a power
outlet with the photoelectric eye facing the outside natural
light. Weighing less than twelve ounces, the Protect-0-Lite
is 3"-by-2 1 /2 / '-by-l", comes with 6-foot cord and plug, uti-
lizes 110-125 volts AC with 600-watt capacity. Direct all
inquiries to Vernon Wiberg, Energy Kontrols, Inc., 11
South First Street, Geneva, Illinois.
A tamperproof, vandalproof
lighting fixture for public build-
ings and areas has been devel-
oped to accommodate up to two
100-watt A lamps in its double
14-gauge steel housing. Theft
and vandalism are prevented by
steel mesh welded to the outer
housing to protect the Corning
fresnel lens and by spanner-head
screws requiring a special screwdriver for access to the
lamps. Other safety features include seating the lens in a
shock-absorbing foam-rubber gasket, a fiberglass insulation
between fixture and ceiling, and a safety chain to hold the
outer steel housing to the inner housing to facilitate re-
lamping. For further details write Light & Power Utilities
Corporation. 1035 Firestone Boulevard, Memphis, Tennes-
see.
The flow of new plastic materials continues virtually un-
abated one of the newer ones being Plastic Mastic, which
can perform practically any repair job. This epoxy-poly-
amide compound has proved practical and economical for
repairing floors, walls, ceilings, driveways, curbs, masonry,
bricks, machinery, fixtures, tanks, pipes, plumbing, furni-
ture. It also fills leaks, breaks, holes, and cracks ; is perman-
ently effective with almost every known material: concrete,
metals, wood, ceramics, glass, rubber, cloth, paper products,
and most plastics. Application is easy and curing time de-
pends on room heat. At room temperature, cured Plastic-
Mastic is hard to the touch in four hours, can be walked on
in eight. This reaction time can be speeded by applying
heat. The compound is nonflammable, contains no volatile
solvents, and has almost no irritation potential. For com-
plete information about the Plastic Mastic General Repair
Kit, which comes in several sizes, write Williamson Adhe-
sives. Inc., 8220 Kimball Avenue, Skokie, Illinois.
Slipping and falling on stairs are always a hazard in large
public buildings, such as recreation and community centers,
school buildings used for recreation, and the like. A slip-
proof stair tread has been designed having a flat, abrasive
surface that provides a sure grip when the foot touches each
step. The Super Stairmaster, made of heavy-duty aluminum
with a special abrasive formula bonded in, has passed oil
and grease tests more severe than those encountered in most
factories and packing plants. Treads are nine inches wide
with beveled back and fit all steps up to thirteen inches wide,
length to twelve feet as required. A deep l^s" nose of heavy
aluminum extends over the edge of the step to protect the
face. Treads are simply fastened down with screws on wood
steps or on masonry steps with screws and lead expansion
shields. For bulletin containing complete information on
these treads and the repair of worn stairs, write Wooster
Products, Inc.. M-R Division, 1000 Spruce Street, Wooster,
Ohio.
The Castello Fencing Equipment Company, long known
for its fencing equipment, has recently been appointed ex-
clusive agent and distributor in the United States for Pigeon-
brand Judo uniforms. These uniforms are recommended by
Kodokan. the officially recognized organization supervising
Judo activities in Japan. Castello will stock them in five
sizes I by weight) and by color (color signifying degree of
experience). They are of championship weight with coats
made of double-hollow weave (reinforced) cotton and the
pants and belts of single drill fabric. Write Castello Judo
Equipment Company, 30 East 10th Street, New York 3.
The versatility of wall-hung
fixtures is now available in a
water cooler, to accommodate
various age-group heights and
to keep floors free of clutter
where desired or required. Tin-
compact On-A-Wall Oasis \sa-
ter cooler is mounted directly
on the wall, comes in seven-
and thirteen-gallon capacities.
Among its features are a plas-
tic vinyl laminate finish on 20-
gauge steel, removable front
panel and grille, mirror-poli-li- \
ed stainless steel top, with anti-
splash ridge; wall protector
back extending 8^2" above!
bottom of basin; Dial-A-Drink bubbler and provision for
glass filler. Mounting bracket and template are provided
Accessories include glass fillers, special masonry wall liaiiii-
er, and special bracket for framed construction. Further
details can be had from The Ebco Manufacturing Company.
265 North Hamilton Road. Columbus 13. Ohio.
44
RECREATION
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
American Playground Device Company
Page
Baltimore, Maryland, Board of Recreation
and Parks Inside Back Cover
Chicago Roller Skates Back Cover
Exposition Press _ 45
The FLXIBLE Company _ 4
Gold Medal Products Company 6
Harper & Brothers ... _ Inside Back Cover
Institutional Cinema Service, Inc. _ _ 9
James Spencer & Company 6
Jaytro Athletic Supply Company 5
Kabat Art & Crafts, Inc. . 9
MacGregor Company
Mason Candies, Inc.
Monroe Company
National Sports .. 45
National Studios 5
Story, Craft and Song Service 6
Stroblite Company .45
Superior Industries Corporation
Inside Back Cover
T. F. Twardiik & Company 4
U. S. Defense Bonds ... _ Inside Front Cover
U. S. Table Tennis Association 5
Wenger Music Equipment Company 6
iMATj
BASI
A
AL
AM
370 NORTH MARQUETTE, FOND DU LAC, WIS J
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RATES: Words in regular type $.15 each
Words in boldface type $.25 each
Minimum ad accepted .... $3.00
DEADLINES: Copy must be received by
the fifth of the month preceding date of
the issue in which ad is desired.
COPY: Type or clearly print your message and the address to which you wish
replies sent. Underline any words you want to appear in boldface type.
Send copy with remittance to:
RECREATION Classified Advertising, 8 West Eighth Street, New York 11, New York.
HELP WANTED
Recreation Therapists
for California State Hospi-
tals. Opportunity to plan
and conduct individual pa-
tient recreation as well as
special group activities;
The publisher assumes
modern equipment and fa-
cilities available. Positions
open to college graduates
with major in recreation or
recreation therapy, which
included supervised field
work. No experience re-
no responsibility for services or
quired. Starting salary
$415.00 per month; promo-
tional opportunities; liber-
al employment benefits.
Write State Personnel
Board, 801 Capitol Avenue,
Sacramento, California.
items advertised here.
Free to WRITERS
seeking a book publisher
Two fact-filled, illustrated brochures tell how
1 to publish your book, get 40% royalties, na-
tional advertising, publicity and promotion.
Free editorial appraisal. Write Dept. R-l
Exposition Press / 386 4th Ave, N..Y. 16
Eliminate Gate-Crashers
"Invisible" HAND STAMPING INKS
seen only under BLACKLIGHT Lamps
The modern RE-ADMISSION system. Foolproof tow-
cost Simple For fairs, dance-halls, beaches, etc.
Complete Kits from $29.
Send for Free Catalog.
STROBLITE CO. Dept. R, 75 W. 45th St., N.Y.C. 36
Congress Proceedings will be ready in
January, I960, price $3.50.
Order your copy immediately.
BINDERS
Heavy simulated leather
Gold stamped
Opens flat for changes
Holds one year's issues
New Price
$3.50 each
(Includes 12 blades)
[Extra sets of looped rods available
separately for $.65 per set]
RECREATION MAGAZINE
8 West Eighth Street
New York 11, N. Y. 1959
This is my order for copies 196
of the RECREATION magazine binder. undated
PLEASE FILL IN
Year Number of Copies
Name
Address..
City
Bill
.; or enclosed..
571
ANUARY 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
.J
45
Periodicals
FOLK Music GUIDE USA, 110 MacDougal St.,
New York 12. Ten issues annually, $.15 per
copy, $1.00 per year.
IDEAS UNLIMITED ("Odds-N-Ends" Projects).
Shulman-Graff Inc., 5865 N. Lincoln Ave.,
Chicago 45. Ten issues annually; $.25 per
copy, $2.00 per year.
Books & Pamphlets
Received
Magazine Articles
THE AMERICAN CHILD, November 1959.
Industry Programs for Youth.
ARTS AND ACTIVITIES, November 1959.
Special Crafts Issue.
CHALLENGE, November 1959.
Leisure, an Economic Fact of Life, Ray-
mond D. Buteux.
PARENTS', December 1959.
Telling the Christmas Story, Harriet D.
Pennington.
Ground Rules for Teenage Parties, Eric W .
Johnson.
Holiday Crafts for the Very Young, Wini-
fred Bryan Homer.
SAFETY EDUCATION, December 1959.
It's All in the Game, Helen Manley.
SWIMMING POOL ACE, November 1959.
Two Municipal Pools, George T. Bell.
Tacoma's "Grading System" Turns Out
Skilled Swimmers, Thomas W. Lantz.
TODAY'S HEALTH, December 1959.
Everybody's Square Dancing, James C. G.
Conniff.
Recordings
Activity Book-Record Sets:
LET'S LOOK AT GREAT PAINTINGS (10-inch
33 1/3-rpm record, eight full-color paint-
ings, and manual) ; AN INTRODUCTION TO
BALLET (two 10-inch 33 1/3-rpm records,
and manual), narrated by Katherine Ser-
gava; LET'S PUT ON A PLAY (10-inch
33 1/3-rpm record, manual, and script for
seven plays). $4.95 each. Ottenheimer:
Publishers, 4805 Nelson Ave., Baltimore
15, Md.
Honor Your Partner:
Albums 14 and 15 of square dance series
by Ed Durlacher. Each album contains
four 12-inch, 78-rpm records. $12.00 per
album. Square Dance Associates, 33 S.
Grove St., Freeport, New York.
Tradition Records:
CHILDREN'S SONGS, Ed McCurdy (TLP
1027), $4.98; ODETTA SINGS BALLADS AND
BLUES (TLP 1010), $4.98; TRADITION FOLK
SAMPLER (TSP-1), $2.00. All 12-inch,
33 1/3-rpm. Tradition Records, Box 72,
Village Station, New York 14.
Administration, Personnel
ADMINISTRATIVE THEORY, Daniel E. Griffith.
Appleton-Century-Crofts, 35 W. 32nd St.,
New York 1. Pp. 123. Paper, $1.95.
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS MADE EASY, John
Donald Peel. Chilton Co., 56th & Chestnut
Sts., Philadelphia 39. Pp. 318. $5.00.
AUTOMATION: Its Impact on Business and
Labor, John Diebold. National Planning
Association, 1606 New Hampshire, N.W.,
Washington 9, D. C., Pp. 64. Paper, $1.00.
CITY EXPENDITURES IN THE UNITED STATES,
Harvey E. Brazer. National Bureau of Eco-
nomic Research, 261 Madison Ave., New
York 16. Pp. 82. Paper, $1.50.
COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN for Lakeland,
Florida, Parks & Recreation. Planning &
Zoning Department, Lakeland, Fla. Pp. 36.
Paper, $1.10.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IN ACTION, Ernest
B. Harper & Arthur Dunham, Editors. As-
sociation Press, 291 Broadway, New York 7.
Pp. 543. $7.50.
EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES, Alida H. Hisle,
Editor. Association for Childhood Educa-
tion International, 1200 5th St., N.W., Wash-
ington 5, D. C. Pp. 93. Paper, $1.50.
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:
The Quest for Responsible Performance.
John D. Millett. McGraw-Hill. 330 W. 42nd
St., New York 36. Pp. 484. $7.95.
INTRODUCTION TO GROUP DYNAMICS, Malcolm
& 1 1 ul. la Knowles. Association Press, 291
Broadway, New York 7. Pp. 95. $2.50.
LEARNING TO WORK IN GROUPS, Matthew B.
Miles. Teachers College, Columbia Uni-
versity, New York 27. Pp. 285. $5.00.
MANAGEMENT OF EMPLOYEE TRAINING (Pro-
ceedings of Institute of Training Officers
Conference). Benjamin J. Ludwig, 2113
Conover PI., Alexandria, Va. Pp. 46. Pa-
per, $1.00.
MANAGEMENT'S MISSION IN A NEW SOCIETY,
Dan H. Fenn, Editor. McGraw-Hill, 330 W.
42nd St., New York 36. Pp. 345. $6.00.
PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION: Evaluation and
Executive Control, James H. Taylor. Mc-
Graw-Hill, 330 W. 42nd St., New York 36.
Pp.326. $7.00.
PUBI.IC PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION, Felix A.
Nigro. Henry Holt, 383 Madison Ave., New
York 17. Pp. 499. $7.00.
REVENUE BONDS FOR STATE PARK AND REC-
REATION AREA DEVELOPMENT, 1959, Ernest
E. Allen. National Conference on State
Parks, 901 Union Trust Bldg., Washington
5, D.C. Pp.93. Paper, $1.00.
SUMMARY OF PUBLIC USE AND PROJECT DATA:
Civil Works. Corps of Engineers, Dept. of
the Army, Washington 25, D.C. Pp. 4. Free.
USER-RESOURCE RECREATION PLANNING METH-
OD, A. National Advisory Council on Re-
gional Recreation Planning, Hidden Valley,
Loomis, Calif. Pp. 80. Paper, $2.00.
TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT 1958-1959. State
Division of Recreation, Department of Na-
tural Resources, 722 Capitol Ave., Room
3076, Sacramento 14, Calif. Pp. 70. Free.
Audio-Visual
ADMINISTERING AUDIO-VISUAL SERVICES, Arl-
ton W. H. Erickson. Macmillan Co., 60 5th
Ave., New York 11. Pp. 477. $6.95.
A-V INSTRUCTION: Materials and Methods,
James W. Brown, Richard B. Lewis and
Fred F. Harcleroad. McGraw-Hill, 330 W.
42nd St., New York 36. Pp. 554. $7.95.
DO-!T- YOURSELF FLANNELCRAPH LESSONS, Syl-
via M. Mattson. Zondervan Publishing,
1415 Lake Dr., S.E., Grand Rapids 6, Mich.
Pp.31. $.50.
EDUCATORS GUIDE TO FREE FILMS. 19th An-
nual Ed. 1959, Mary Foley Horkheimer and
John W. Diffor, Editors. Educators Prog-
ress Service, Randolph, Wis. Pp. 639. Pa-
per, $7.00.
GUIDE TO FREE FILMSTRIPS, 1959, Mary Foley
Horkheimer and John W. Diffor, Editors.
Educators Progress Service, Randolph, Wis.
Pp. 190. Paper, $6.00.
PICTORIAL HISTORY OF TELEVISION, A, Daniel
Blum. Chilton Company, 56th & Chestnut
Sts., Philadelphia 39. Pp. 288. $10.00.
TAPE RECORDER IN THE CLASSROOM, THE, Julia
Mellenbruch, Editor. Visual Instruction
Bureau, University of Texas, Austin 12. Pp. 1
67. Paper, $2.00.
Sports, Physical Education
EDUCATION THROUGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES
(3rd ed.), Pattric R. O'Keefe and Anita]
Aldrich. C. V. Mosby, 3207 Washington
Blvd., St. Louis 3. Pp. 377. $4.50.
FOOTBALL MADE EASY, George Young. Sport-
shelf, P. 0. Box 634, New Rochelle, N.Y.J
Pp. 124. $3.75.
GLORY OF SAIL, THE. Frank and Keith Beken.
John deGraff, 31 E. 10th St., New York 3.J
Pp.183. $10.00.
HANDBOOK OF BASEBALL DRILLS, Archie P.
Allen. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.i
Pp.212. $4.95.
NEW INVITATION TO SKIING, Fred Iselin and
A. C. Spectorsky. Simon and Schuster. 630
5th Ave., New York 20. Pp. 243. $4.95.
PHYSIOLOGY OF EXERCISE (3rd ed.) , Laurence]
E. Morehouse and Augustus T. Miller, Jr.j
C. V. Mosby, 3207 Washington Blvd., St.
Louis 3, Mo. Pp. 349. $4.75.
TABLE TENNIS A New Approach, Ken Stan-
ley. Sportshelf, P. 0. Box 634, New Ro-j
chelle, N.Y. Pp. 108. $3.25.
TACKLE LAWN TENNIS THIS WAY, Angela Bux-j
ton. Sportshelf, P. O. Box 634, New Ro
chelle, N.Y. Pp. 132. $3.25.
TACKLE SOCCER THIS WAY, Duncan Edwa
Sportshelf, Box 634, New Rochelle, N.l
Pp. 111. $3.25.
TEACH YOURSELF BADMINTON, Fred Brumi
Sportshelf, P. 0. Box 634, New Rochell
N.Y. Pp. 173. $2.00.
TEXTBOOK OF ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY (5
ed.), Catherine Parker Anthony. C. V. Mo
by, 3207 Washington Blvd., St. Louis 3.
574. $5.35.
TRACK AND FIELD FOR COACH AND ATHLE
Jesse P. Mortensen and John M. Coop
Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
246. $4.95.
WOMAN'S BOWLING GUIDE, THE, Sylvia We
David McKay. 119 W. 40th St., New Y
18. Pp. 113. $2.95.
YOUTH AND FITNESS (National Confer
1958). AAPHER, 1201 16th St.,
Washington 6, D.C. Pp. 80. Paper, $1.8
\ I KWCT OF THK Sc OHEIIO Mill Irollrp' ;llll-\
letid), \ile Clii i-lrnson. \ineilran Press,:!
4895th Ave.. New York 17. Pp. I'M). S.'UX). I
46
RKCREATKH!
PUBLICATIONS
Covering the Leisure-time Field
Community Theatre Idea and
Achievement, Robert E. Card and Ger-
trude S. Burley. Duell, Sloan & Pearce,
124 East 30th Street, New York 16.
Pp. 182. $3.75.
Robert Card is well-known as the di-
rector of the Wisconsin Idea Theatre
at the University of Wisconsin. He is
a member of the National Recreation
Association's National Advisory Com-
mittee on Drama. Gertrude Burley, his
assistant, has developed a notable series
of theater classes for children and is a
firm believer in drama education for
the young. Their combined efforts have
produced a book of real significance.
Those interested in knowing more
about community theater, its objectives,
its varying types of sponsorship, its
policies, and so on find this book well
worth careful study, as well as inter-
esting reading. It throws the search-
light of experience on every aspect of
community theater, and answers key
questions about professionalism, ori-
ginal plays, leadership, management,
and community relations.
Over half of this book consists of
conversations with drama directors of
community theaters in various cities
representing every section in the United
States except New England and the
Northwest. It is through these conver-
sations that the problems and the an-
swers ( when there are answers) are dis-
cussed. This is the meat of the book.
An excellent bibliography and a rep-
resentative list of American community
theaters, listed by states, add to the
value of the book. Highly recommended.
The Playground as Music Teacher,
Madeline Carabo-Cone. Harper &
Brothers, 49 East 33rd Street, New
York 16. Pp. 247. $5.00.
Here is how to teach the rudiments
of music through the use of musical
games. More than one hundred games
are described and can be played on a
music staff marked on a playground.
Recreation leaders, as well as children,
will find this book an easy and pleasant
introduction to the single, basic ele-
ments of music. Directions are detailed,
clear, and accompanied with appropri-
JANUARY 1960
ate diagrams and musical illustrations.
Those who are already acquainted with
the symbols of music will also enjoy
these games.
Fifty Years with Music, Sigmund
Spaeth. Fleet Publishing, 70 East 45th
Street, New York 17. Pp. 288. $4.95.
This entertaining and informative
book is a treasure chest of photographs
and writings from the pen of Sigmund
Spaeth, one of the most significant and
influential musical figures of our time.
Dr. Spaeth treats of everything from
the poet Milton to the facts of life in
popular song. He writes of music ap-
preciation for the uninitiated, grand
opera, rock V roll, and barbershop with
equal enthusiasm and soundness of
judgment.
Here is a book that will be read with
joy by laymen and sophisticates alike,
for it is replete with the vitality and
enthusiasm which have characterized
Dr. Spaeth's long career and faithful
service to the musical world.
Creating a Climate for Adult Learn-
ing. Adult Education Association, 743
North Wabash Avenue, Chicago 11.
Pp. 116. $1.00.
This is a report of the Conference on
Architecture for Adult Education, held
in Lafayette, Indiana, in December
1958, in connection with the formal
opening of the adult education facilities
in Purdue's new Memorial Center build-
ing. The idea for the conference was
conceived by the Commission on Arch-
itecture for Adult Education of the
Adult Education Association. Except
for a brief report of a discussion group
session on community centers, there is
little specific reference to recreation in
the volume. However, much of the ma-
terial can be directly applied to recrea-
tion programs, especially for adults.
Many valuable suggestions for the plan-
ning of recreation buildings appear in
reports relating to design, equipment,
research, planning, and environment,
as well as reports of significant adult
education program trends affecting ar-
chitecture. Of special interest is an
analysis of over two hundred replies
submitted by administrators and pro-
gram personnel to a questionnaire re-
questing opinions with reference to the
physical facilities now provided for
their programs.
Public Personnel Administration, Fe-
lix A. Nigro. Henry Holt & Company,
383 Madison Avenue, New York 17.
Pp. 499. $7.00.
This publication deals with the vari-
ous phases of public personnel admin-
istration. The basic problems in each
personnel area are considered in the
light of the latest developments. The
book is written quite as much for the
layman as for the personnel specialist
and gives quite a clear picture of the
planning involved in carrying out an
effective personnel program. For com-
parison and contrast, frequent refer-
ences are made to personnel develop-
ments in industry.
Readings in Human Relations, ed-
ited by Keith Davis and William G.
Scott. McGraw-Hill Book Company,
330 West 42nd Street, New York 36.
Pp. 473. $6.50.
The authors have attempted to pre-
sent the integrated social science ap-
proach that recognizes that human rela-
tions uses ideas from many disciplines.
Although the material is management
oriented, it draws from the fields of psy-
chology, sociology, economics, labor re-
lations, and ethics.
There is considerable treatment of
such subjects as the philosophy of hu-
man relations, employee morale and
motivation, leadership and supervision;
and. in general, it deals with the trends
in human relations. This book should
be helpful to those interested in semi-
nars and discussions in human relations
and it could be good personal reading
for executives and students.
The Study of Leadership, Dr. C. G.
Browne and Thomas C. Cohn. Inter-
state Printers and Publishers, 19-27
North Jackson Street, Danville, Illinois.
Pp. 487. $5.75.
This book contains selected material
concerning the major current thinking
by psychologists and sociologists on
the subject of personnel. It is the re-
sult of the broad survey of leadership
literature in the attempt to select pub-
lished studies that have some signifi-
cant contribution to the various aspects
of leadership.
The book attempts to analyze leader-
ship and leadership behavior and also
47
deals with the training and the dynam-
ics of leadership. It is a very helpful
volume for those who want to keep up
with current concepts and philosophy
of leadership.
Growth Through Play, Albert M.
Farina, Sol H. Furth, and Joseph M.
Smith. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs,
New Jersey. Pp. 246, illustrated. Spi-
ral bound, $5.75.
This very attractive book is a com-
prehensive source of play activities for
kindergarten and elementary school
children. Its opening chapters contain
excellent discussions of the value and
meaning of play, selection of games,
and leadership techniques.
The remainder of the book is devoted
to characteristics and activities of chil-
dren from four through twelve. Each
age-group section includes classroom
games, creative play, action games^
song play, self-testing activities, folk
dancing, party games, pencil-and-paper
games, ball games, and the like.
Music is given whenever needed.
Game formations or layouts are illus-
trated. A bibliography, sources of rec-
ords, and an index are further aids that
make this a very well-planned and use-
ful book.
Pictures Tell Your Story, Daniel J.
Ransohoff. National Publicity Council,
257 Park Avenue South, New York 10.
Unpaged. Paper, $1.75 (plus $.09
postage).
Even if you feel you know all there
is to know about taking, buying, or us-
ing photographs, this book may still
give you some information you don't
have or some ideas you can use. On
the other hand, if you feel you need a
good deal of help and advice this book
is an easy-to-follow guide. Unlike many
books on photographs, it also includes
some discussion of the way photo-
graphs are reproduced, as well as sec-
tions on controlling the use of photo-
graphs, their care, and credits.
The book is lavishly illustrated with
pictures that make the point, including
some that deal with such hard-to-photo-
graph subjects as the physically and
mentally handicapped. Not just any
picture but the right picture in the right
place can help to get better understand-
ing for the job you are doing and the
support you need.
Amazingly low in cost, this book is
inexpensive enough to make it easy to
add to your personal as well as your
office library. Anne New, National
Recreation Association Public Infor-
mation and Education Department.
48
RESOURCES AND REFERENCES
Pamphlets and other aids for the recre-
ation leader:
Spectator Control at Inter scholastic
Basketball Games by Glenn C. Leach of
the athletic department at Rider Col-
lege, Trenton, New Jersey, covers a
topic and situation only too prevalent
in basketball and other sport events,
whether under school or other auspices.
The number-one factor causing prob-
lems, according to Mr. Leach, is the
crowd's reaction to officiating. "This is
usually the result of poor knowledge of
the game and the rules on the part of
the spectators." Anyone responsible
for the administration of atheletics will
be interested in the solutions offered in
this booklet. Available for one dollar
from Sportshelf, P.O. Box 634, New
Rochelle, New York.
A Planning Report on Zoos is one of
a series of workmanlike reports being
issued by the Metropolitan Planning
Department of Marion County, Indi-
ana. While its immediate purpose was
to analyze and evaluate George Wash-
ington Park as a possible site for a zoo
for the city of Indianapolis, it presents
general planning guides and principles
for zoo-site analysis in any locality. It
was edited and compiled by Carl B.
Generich, Jr., administrative assistant,
and is available for fifty cents from the
department, Room 405, City Hall, In-
dianapolis, Indiana. (Ask also for a
list of the department's other reports.)
Everglades The Park Story by Wil-
liam B. Robertson, Jr. is the before-and-
after report of an unusual and timeless
area. It is illustrated with striking
black-and-white and color photographs
by Dade W. Thornton and others. The
author is a field research biologist of
the National Park Service. This excel-
lent presentation of a national park is
available for one dollar from the Uni-
versity of Miami Press, Coral Gables
46, Florida.
Social Changes & Sports is the report
of the National Conference on Social
Changes and Implications for Physical
Education and Sports Programs, held
in Estes Park, Colorado, in 1958. Over
two hundred college educators and na-
tional authorities in women's sports and
athletics attended this meeting along
with some of the country's top econo-
mists, psychologists, and anthropolo-
gists. Among other interesting material
are an address by Mrs. Rollin Brown,
chairman of the White House Confer-
ence on Children and Youth, on the
"Challenges of Today" ; a discussion by
Margaret Brown Clark of the Univer-
sity of California School of Health, on
"Play and Cultural Values"; and an-
other by Margaret Lantis of the U. S.
Public Health Service on "Foreseeing
Women's Recreation in the 1960 r s."
The report is available for two dollars
from AAHPER. 1201 16th St.. N.W.,
Washington 6. D. C.
Know Your Congress is published
every session of Congress for ready ref-
erence and contains over one hundred
pages of pertinent information about
the current Congress, its members and
committees, as well as useful facts about
jurisdictions, powers, and functions.
Next issue will appear January 3. 1960.
Available for two dollars from Capital
Publishers. 1006 National Press Build-
ing, Washington 4. D. C. (Also avail-
able for fifty cents is a digest of mate-
rial on our individual states and capital
city, entitled Know Your Country.)
How to Keep Fit and Like It (2nd ed.
rev.) is by Dr. Arthur H. Steinhaus,
professor of physiology at George Wil-
liams College, Chicago, and one of the
session speakers at the 41st National
Recreation Congress. This covers every
aspect of fitness, from sleep and how to
get it, to dancing, to growing old grace-
fully, and certainly has many implica-
tions for the recreation program. Avail-
able for fifty cents from the Dartnell
Corporation. 4660 North Ravenswood,
Chicago 40.
The Calendar of Musical Activities in
the United States for 1959-60, issued
by the President's Music Committee of
the People-to-People Program, is four
times bigger than the committee's initial
effort last year. Information from fifty
states covers over six thousand music
performances in 580 cities and includes
symphony, choral, band, and jazz con-
certs ; ballet, dance, and chamber music
performances; recitals; folk festivals;
and various music workshops. Each
event is defined as to date, conductor,
soloist, and sponsoring organization.
The 168-page calendar is available for
one dollar postpaid from the committee
at 734 Jackson Place, N.W.. Washing-
ton 6. D. C.
Troubled People on the Job offers
good advice to those of us who super-
vise other people and may have to han-
dle difficult employees and situations.
The pamphlet was prepared by the
Committee on Occupational Psychiatry
of the American Psychiatric Associa-
tion and is intended for supervisory
personnel in almost every setting. Avail-
able for fifty cents from the Mental
Health Materials Center. 104 East 25th
Street, New York 10.
RECREATION
c?
with I IdturcLi ^rce
CONSTRUCTION
MAINTENANCE
OPERATION
CONSTRUCTING THE RINK: Selecting the Site, Pre-
paring the Area, Building the Rink by Flooding,
Building the Rink by Spraying.
MAINTAINING THE RINK
OPERATING THE RINK: Providing for All Types of
Skaters, Safety Measures, Protecting the Rink,
Services at the Rink.
P264
Price SO cents
A Publication of the
National Recreation Association
A Service Organization Supported by Voluntary Contributions
8 West Eighth Street New York 1 1 , New York
DIRECTOR OF RECREATION AND PARKS
BALTIMORE, MD.
APPLICATIONS: WILL BE RECEIVED FOR THE ABOVE POSITION
NOW VACANT
SALARY RANGE: $11,664. to $14,160.
QUALIFICATIONS: Must be a person familiar with sound, modern
practices of community recreation and park operations and of high
professional standing in this field.
MAIL: Complete details of personal background and experience to:
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
BOARD OF RECREATION AND PARKS
DRUID HILL PARK
BALTIMORE 17, MD.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
If you are planning to move, notify us at least thirty
days before the date of the issue with which it is to take
effect, if possible, in order to receive your magazines
without interruption. Send both your old and new ad-
dresses by letter, card or post office form 22S to:
SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT
RECREATION MAGAZINE
8 WEST EIGHTH STREET
NEW YORK 11, N. Y.
The post office will not forward copies unless you pro-
vide extra postage. Duplicate copies cannot be sent.
A unique and easy-to-teach
method of music education
for children
THE ^
PLAYGROUND
AS MUSIC TEACHER
An Introduction to Music Through Games
By MADELEINE CARABO-CONE
Co-author of How to Help Children Learn Music
In terms of the games children love best Blindman's
Bluff, Follow the Leader, Drop the Handkerchief, etc.
Madeleine Carabo-Cone has dramatized the written
language of music the bass clef, the treble clef, notes,
the lines and spaces of the grand staff.
Through these games, played on either an indoor or out-
door field, the children absorb a working knowledge of
the whole music staff. This original and creative method
of making music a part of childhood experience will be
valuable to teachers (who need no previous musical
training to use the book) from kindergarten through
junior high school, to playground directors and to par-
ents. Illustrated with over 100 line drawings.
$5.00 at your bookstore or from
HARPER & BROTHERS, N. Y. 16
SAVES SPACE . . . FOLDS FACE TO FACE!
Easi-Fold Rolling
TABLE TENNIS TABLE
Easy as 1-2-3 ... for busy institutional worker or harried house-
wife. Folds automatically! Has large wheels on steel chassis;
solid-edge protected steel frame; built-in, metal-end net; granite-
hard Formium playing surface. Write today for color catalog.
SUPERIOR INDUSTRIES CORPORATION
520 Coster Street, New York 59, N. Y. DAyton 9-5100
\Vhen writinff to our advertisers nlr;me mention RETRFATTON
a profitable
-recreftt-ion that entertains more people
-. I L
Roller skating is a sport enjoyed by the
young in heart. A gym, hall or any other
smooth surface makes a fine skating area,
and there is no damage to the floor if
proper skates are used. Little equipment is
needed . . . little supervision is required.
That's why more and more schools and
churches have roller skating programs
and many of them make money by charging a
nominal fee for skating. Write today for
free information.
New Rubber-Plastic Wheels are kind to gym floors
Not only do these new Duryte rubber-plastic wheels
outwear others, they give the skater more traction
and smoother rolling. They are guaranteed not to
mar or scratch the floors. Write for free details on
roller skating programs and skating equipment.
CHICAGO
4490-A West Lake, Chicago 24, Illinois
.
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
2 - ' .-
j ' ""*
Series E Bonds
fourteen months quicker
than ever before
YOUR MONEY GROWS 33'/ 3 %
IN JUST 7 YEARS AND 9 MONTHS
WITH NEW SERIES E BONDS
Here are three new reasons why today's
Savings Bonds are the best ones in history:
1. Every Bond bought since June 1,1959,
earns 3%% interest irhen held the full
term. Series E Bonds note mature in 7
years, 9 months fourteen months
faster than ever before.
2. Your older Bonds now earn more an
extra %% from June 1 on, until ma-
turity.
3. All Series E Bonds, old and new, carry
an automatic extension privilege note.
This means they'll automatically keep
earninf! liberal interest for 10 years
beyond maturity.
You get these new advantages, plus com-
plete safety, guaranteed return, and pro-
tection against loss or theft when you save
with Bonds. And there's no easier way to
save. You can buy Bonds automatically
through the Payroll Savings Plan at work,
or from any bank. Plan to start saving with
U.S. Savings Bonds they're the best ever.
YOU SAVE MORE THAN MONEY
with U.S. Savings Bonds
The U.S. Government does not pay for this adrertising. The Treasury Department thanks
The Advertising Council and this magazine for their patriotic donation.
You could buy three
competitive balls and not get the
value you'll be getting with
one new Voit Icosahedron ball.
When you buy balls, what you're really buying is bounces.
Recently, when a completely reliable and impartial
expert, United States Testing Company, tested Voit and
competitive balls to failure in a bounce machine,
their report showed Voit balls tested outlasted the nearest
of four competitive brands tested by more than 3 to 1.
We thought their test results were a clear and
convincing reason to buy Voit. Don't you think so, too?
Voit Icosahedron Average bounces before failure 268,145
Brand A average 86,187
Brand B average 79,104
Brand C average 53,497
Brand D average 34,660
W. J. VOIT RUBBER CORP.
New York 11 Chicago 11 -Los Angeles 11
A Subsidiary of American Machine i Foundry Company
(Report #51093
March 25, 1959)
FEBRUARY 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
49
WHEREVER .
CHILDREN PLAY
Recreation equipment with
engineered safety to meet
the most rigid requirements.
"" Playground Equipment
Indoor Basketball Backstops
_ Swimming Pool Equipment
Literature for each line avail-
able on request please specify.
DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED
RECREATION
EQUIPMENT CORP
Dcpt. R160 724 W. 8th St.
Anderson, Indiana
Eliminate old fashioned
basket checking
REDUCE PAYROLLS
Modern, serve-self Sentinel Lockers
do away with old-style bags and
baskets, prevent pilfering and rid
you of the risk of custody liability.
Patrons like the improved serv-
ice, too. No standing in line, more
privacy and higher security for
clothes and other personal pos-
sessions.
Coin-and-key operated lockers
mean a big increase in your rev-
enue as well as payroll savings . . .
enough to pay for the investment
over and over again.
Now is the time to get the com-
plete Sentinel story . . . there's no
obligation. Write . . .
COIN-AND-KEY
OPERATED CHECKING SYSTEMS
THE FLXIBLE COMPANY
LOUOONVILLE, OHIO
Readers! You are invited to send letters for this page
to Editor, RECREATION, 8 West Eighth Street, New
York 11 so that your ideas, opinions and attitudes
may be exchanged with others on the wide range of
subjects of concern to us all. Here is your chance to
agree or disagree with the authors of our articles.
Keep letters brief not more than 250 words.
The Editors.
International Exchange Recreation
Sirs:
I have recently received this year's
appeal from the International Recrea-
tion Association asking us to assume the
host role for an exchange recreation
leader from another country, for a pe-
riod of one to four weeks duration. In
1958, while serving in Provincetown,
Massachusetts, it was my good fortune
to host an exchange leader. Mr. Juergan
Palm, from Germany.
I consider this one of the richest and
most rewarding experiences of my ca-
reer and strongly urge all who have not
had this opportunity, to take advantage
of the program this year and support
IRA. Besides helping your guest spread
the message of recreation throughout
the world, you will be amazed at the
number of ideas and impressions you
will gain from him.
I have always found my fellow recre-
ators to be the most friendly and helpful
group of professional people there are.
By hosting an exchange, you not only
solidify this position, but you will find
that our "foreign" recreators are just
as warm and just as dedicated a group.
PETER A. DEIMEL, Assistant Super-
intendent of Recreation. Greenwich,
Connecticut.
Florida's Irish Fair
Sirs:
Our Hollywood Irish Fair [see "Re-
porter's Notebook," RECREATION, June
1958 and February 1957] grew into a
Broward County event in 1959, and
recreation directors from Dania. Fort
Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, and Hal-
landale participated and directed many
of the activities. Six thousand young-
sters registered in sixty-four events
from tennis, swimming, sailing, golf,
field events, kick-ball, weightlifting, vol-
leyball, tug-of-war, and cake bakes,
freckle contest, doll show to arts, crafts,
music and dancing, including an Irish
Musical, with a cast of 160. The musi-
cal revue was directed by Eileen Wall,
who helped so ably with the Gold Coast
motorcycle corps program, that you
presented in the September [1958] REC-
REATION Magazine.
The opening ceremonies were at-
tended by city officials of the twelve
towns of Broward County, representa-
tives of one hundred civic organizations.
visiting dignitaries, and celebrities. In-
vitations were extended to John Hearne,
ambassador of Ireland. Governor Col-
lins. and Bat Masterson I especially for
the youngsters) . All day was booked
solid with games, competitions, band
concerts, exhibitions, scout encamp-
ments, picnics, displays, and entertain-
ments. Green Shoe Rollers competed
at the local skating arena and sailing,
swimming, golf, and tennis tournaments
took place in their respective areas.
Climax of the fair, on the seventeenth,
was the running of the Invitational In-
ternational Mile and Quarter-Mile. The
events included special high-school and
university dashes and relays. Peter
Close, Lazlo Tabori. Tom O'Riordan,
Eddie Southern. Tom Murphy, and Jim
Casteel are among those who accepted.
Our physical fitness program is well
organized and successful all year; and
quick-witted youngsters vied for points
against their physically fit counterparts
in "fun competitions" during Irish Fair.
Our own version of "mind and muscle"
had an added attraction a Liberty !
Stinger missile that roars and spouts
was on display with two air-force men
in attendance.
The civic organizations set up dis-
plays of their particular youth projects
that included sports, scholarship. ;irt.
drama, and assistance in employment i
and guidance throughout the year. The
sports natural to this area, such as swim- I
ming, sailing, tennis and golf, always I
have tremendous registrations and ex- I
citing tournaments. We even grew our
own shamrocks, right in the recreation
office.
Of course, you did not have to be I
Irish to be in the Irish Fair.
PATRICK J. HENEGHAN,
Superintendent. Holh i< on,f. Florida.
50
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECREATION
FEBRUARY 1960
THE MAGAZINE OF THE RECREATION MOVEMENT
Editor in Chief, JOSEPH PRENDERCAST
Editor, DOROTHY DONALDSON
ASSISTANT EDITORS
JEAN WACHTEL ELVIRA DELANY
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Administration, GEORGE BUTLER
Program, VIRGINIA MUSSELMAN
VOL. LIII.
Price 50 Cents
No. 2
On the Cover
IN THE DEPTHS. During an unprecedented sixty-
day underwater cruise by the U.S. Navy's second
atomic submarine, the USS Seawolf, one of the
greatest problems turned out to he what to do with
off-duty hours. Here Torpedoman F'irst Class Rich-
ard Champagne works on a model ship. For the
whole story of submarine recreation, read Edmund
Waller's "Recreation Forty Fathoms Down" on Page
56. Official U.S. Navy Photograph.
Next Month
The March issue will be bulging with good, solid
camping material of all kinds including articles
about various day camp programs, an excellent arti-
cle on the philosophy of camping by Julian Salo-
mon, Stan Stocker's article on what public lands are
available for camping, family camping, a progres-
sive camping setup in California, and Catherine
Hammett's "Don't Take the Playground to Camp."
\ou'll also read Part II of Skip Winans' article on
youth in Asia and a study report on maintenance
problems.
Photo Credits
Page 52, Anne Turner (13), Dillon, South Carolina,
1959 Kodak High School Photo Contest Winner;
60-61 and 66-67. YMCA World Service Photos; 64-65,
British Information Services; 68, Don Knight, Abi-
lene, Texas; 69. (left) Gerald R. Massie, Missouri
Resources Division, Jefferson City; (right) Ralph
Norman Studio, Boston; 86, Sunland-Tujunga Re-
cord Ledger; 87. Jimmy Godown (15), Memphis,
Tennessee, 1959 Kodak High School Photo Contest
Winner; 88 and 91, cartoons, Copyright 1949, Curtis
Publishing Company.
RECREATION is published monthly except July and
August by the National Recreation Association, a service
organization supported by voluntary contributions, at 8
West Eighth Street, New York 11. New York, a on
file in public libraries and is indexed in the Rtadtrt'
Guide. Subscriptions $4.00 a year. Canadian and for-
eign subscription rate $4.50. Re-entered as second-class
matter April 25, 1950, at the Post Office in New York,
New York under Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance
for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in
Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized May
1, 1924. Microfilms of current issues available Uni-
versity Microfilms, 313 N. First Street, Ann Arbor,
Michigan.
Space Representatives: Mark Minahan, 185 North Wa-
bash Avenue, Chicago 1, Illinois.
Copyright, I960, by the
National Recreation Association, Incorporated
Printed in the U.S.A.
* Trade mark registered in U. S. Patent Office.
CONTENTS
GENERAL FEATURES
The Dream (Editorial) Thomas Griffith 52
Recreation Forty Fathoms Down Edmund M. Waller 56
Strong Constitution Needed Samuel E. Vickers 58
Fun Travels North H. Gordon McFarlane 59
Accent on Youth in Asia (Part I) Sterling S. Winans 60
Recreation in Outer Mongolia Harrison S. Salisbury 63
The Politics of Leisure 54
Just for the Fun of It .66
American Teen-Agers in Japan Sgt. Jerry S. Ray 70
Good Sports Good Friends Harold F. Moor 72
ADMINISTRATION
Floodlighting Outdoor Recreation Areas . . Wallace W. Weld 74
Local and State Developments 77
Airhouses Don Shingler 78
School-City Cooperation in Recreation 80
Research Reviews and Abstracts 85
Personnel: Voluntary Registration in New York State
Sal J. Prezioso 90
PROGRAM
Winter Camping Stanley W. Stacker 68
Have You Tried
A Happiness Fund? Arthur E. Westnall 73
A Fairy Tale Festival? 91
Winter Comfort Out-of-Doors 82
Leisure-Time Pursuits in College Agnes M. Hooley 83
Having Fun with Spanish Marion C. Sparrow 86
Hospital Fish J ean Jackson 87
Hero Month 96
REGULAR FEATURES
Letters 59
Things You Should Know 54
A Reporter's Notebook 88
Market News 92
Classified Advertising 93
Index of Advertisers 93
Books and Pamphlets Received, Magazine Articles 94
New Publications 95
IDUCATIONAL
IRESS
ISSOCIATION
OF
^AMERICA
The articles herein printed are the expres-
sion of the writers and not a statement of
policy of the Notional Recreation Association.
'EBRUARY 1960
51
Ed i torial
THE
DREAM
S
OMETIMES I dream of a land where patriotism is not considered a superi-
ority to others but a pride in being the hospitable center of the best from
everywhere; where differences in color and race are not falsely denied but
make a competition in being the best; where justice inhabits the courts, wis-
dom the legislatures, and honor the markets; where duty is followed but in
no dull way and pleasures are lighthearted ; where the last is not least and
the highest is not proud; where grab is despised and giving prized; where
trust is unfeigned, knowing it will not be disappointed ; where tranquillity is
to be found, but not torpor, and raucous variety also has its place; where
weaknesses are not denied but excellences are exalted; where diversity roams
free, and the unity of the dour and the carefree, the homely and the favored,
the comfortable and the restless is in their unafraid belief in each other's
freedom; where men are not angels but do not make a business of being dev-
ils; where nobility is not mere respectability and virtue does not produce a
snigger; where the clang of work and the clamor of play attest to the common
health; where enemies cannot reach us because our merit, and not our guns
or our propaganda, has won the world to our side. . . It is a very disturbing
dream.
From The Waist-High Culture by Thomas Griffith, published by Harper and Brothers,
New York City. Mr. Griffith is senior editor of Time magazine.
52
RECREATION
QUOTABLE*
Thoughts on Leisure
. . . Now we stand on the threshold of
an age that will bring leisure to all of
us. more leisure than all the aristocra-
cies of history, all the patrons of art,
all the captains of industry, and kings
of industry ever had at their disposal.
With this leisure the opportunity to
educate ourselves up to the limits of
our own individual capacities will be
brought within the range of all of us.
What shall we do with this great op-
portunity? In the answers that we give
to this question the fate of our Ameri-
can civilization will unfold. A. WHIT-
NEY GRISWOLD (Life, December 28,
1959) .
One of the greatest problems of mod-
ern civilization is loneliness. Loneliness
is partly due to the fact that leisure is
not used creatively, that the leisure time
becomes a period of lostness. . . . Lei-
sure we have we need to learn to use
it creatively. For it can be destructive
or it can be a means of building phys-
ical, mental stamina, of generating
power and inspiration. GEORGE DE
HUSZAR, in Practical Applications of
Democracy.
Leisure used to be something you
earned after working hard and coming
home exhausted. And the function of
leisure, play, recreation was restorative
to help a person come back to his job
with new vigor. Since work is no longer
exhausting, recreation has a different
function. Its function is to restore a
meaning to one's life through creative
activity of the person's own choosing.
Da. EDWARD J. STAINBROOK, chair-
man. Department of Psychiatry, School
of Medicine, University of California.
It is to be hoped that the spare time
resulting from the forty-hour week will
not be devoted wholly to baseball and
sports, but that we shall see the enjoy-
ment of beauty spread over into the
common affairs of daily life. WILLIAM
CHURCH OSBORNE (Think).
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models to fit your budget Dept. R-2.
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EVERY RECREATION PROGRAM NEEDS THESE:
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Don't handicap your program for lack of funds. Refresh-
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page booklet which tells how easily your department can
earn them. Free 120-page catalog and descriptive literature
is also yours for the asking. Write today.
GOLD MEDAL PRODUCTS CO.
300 E. THIRD STREET
CINCINNATI 2, OHIO
FEBRUARY 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
53
"my grandfather makes the best play-
ground equipment in the whole world
. . . because he loves little people like me!
he makes slides and swings and see-saws
and all kinds of things, they're real strong
and they're very safe, if you're goingto buy
playground things you better talk to my
grandfather or my father first, they're both
named mr. burke."
J. E. BURKE COMPANY
P. 0. Box 986 Oept. 55
New Brunswick,
New Jersey OR
P. 0. Box 549 Dept. 55
Fond du Lac,
Wisconsin
Name:.
Street:_
City:
State:
> JOINT EFFORT is urged by the U. S.
Department of the Interior to save
America's historical heritage. In a bro-
chure on the history program of the
National Park Service, it suggests a
joint venture in which federal, state,
and local agencies, patriotic organiza-
tions or individuals work as partners
to save as much as possible for our
children and future generations. The
dramatic "reawakening of history" in
the National Park System, under Mis-
sion 66, is described in the illustrated
booklet, entitled That the Past Shall
Live. Copies of the publication are be-
ing placed in major libraries, sent to
conservation leaders, and various edu-
cational institutions, and will be avail-
able in most Park Service field offices.
An overseas distribution is being made
by the U. S. Information Agency.
The Mission 66 program has com-
pleted a total of 708 projects, worth
$36,616,000, and placed under con-
struction or committed for construction,
an additional 710 projects, involving
investment of $59,083,000, during fis-
cal year 1959, according to National
Park Service Director Conrad L. Wirth.
^ INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE is the pur-
pose of a Christmas vacation project
started in December at the Rockefeller
Institute, New York City, where an an-
nual series of lectures on science was
established for teen-agers. This is to be
given for the youngsters at Christmas-
time by some of the world's foremost
scientists. Object: inspiration rather
than instruction.
> NRA AFFILIATES are invited to join
in a search for an American family who
best typifies wholesome family life.
This search is being conducted by the
Grolier Society with the cooperation of
the National Recreation Association
and other national organizations. For
details about how to make nominations
write to NRA for a flyer if you have not
received one.
^ A BRIEF, concise brochure, a Code
for Teen-Agers, by teen-agers, has been
recently published by the Memphis and
Shelby County (Tennessee) Youth
Guidance Commission. Copies are avail-
able from the commission.
> FOR YOUR CAMP: an amusing and ef-
fective set of camp safety posters, from
the Continental Casualty Company,
Summer Camp Department. 310 South
Michigan Avenue. Chicago. Illinois, are
available for the asking.
> DISPLAY KIT OF READING MATERIALS:
Colorful materials to promote children's
reading on vacation have been prepared
by the Children's Book Council, 175
Fifth Avenue, New York 10. This kit
sells for $1.50, which includes postage.
> INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE NOW
spending an estimated one billion dol-
lars yearly for recreational programs."
states the 9/11/59 issue of Sportscope,
"These programs are growing tremen-
dously and include the family as well as
the worker." There is plenty of room in
these programs for the professional rec-
reation leader.
> AT ITS RECENT ANNUAL MEETING at
the Hotel Biltmore, in New York City.
the National Social Welfare Assembly,
a central planning and coordinating
body, elected Stanley C. Allyn its presi-
dent. Among other people re-elected
to their same posts was vice-president
Mrs. Rollin Brown of Los Angeles.
NRA board member, and, as mentioned
previously, chairman of the President's
National Committee for the Conference
(on Children and Youth).
> A TEN-POINT DEFINITION of what
makes a good community has been is-
sued by the American Council to Im-
prove Our Neighborhoods makes two
special references to recreation. Ac-
cording to ACTION, a good community
must offer "easy access to places of
work, shopping, and recreation," and
"a variety of public and private facili-
ties and services for the pleasurable use
of leisure time."
^ AN ESTIMATE of new swimming pools
for 195 ( ). as reported in a recent issue
of Sportscope, issued by the Athletic In-
stitute, is 70.000 pools, bringing the
number of private and public pools in
the United States to 250.000 com-
pared to less than 11.000 a decade ago.
54
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECREATION
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handing out balls and paying top prices for low
quality balls. Install this attractive, cost-cutting
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Days, Weeks, and Months
NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK will fall on
April 3 to 9 this year. Cooperate with
your local library; gear your program
to emphasize the place of reading, and
of books, in recreation. Reading en-
riches our leisure, forms a background
for dramatic productions, sparks cre-
ative activities and interest in the cul-
tural arts, conveys know-how and back-
ground information, contributes to all
recreation activities.
FEBRUARY 8, 1960 marks the begin-
ning of the Boy Scouts of America
Golden Jubilee Year. This will be
marked by many national as well as lo-
cal celebrations. (The sixth edition of
the Boy Scout Handbook was published
on December 15.)
MARCH 5 to 12 is National 4-H Club
Week, "To inform more people espe-
cially youth and parents about 4-H
educational aims and methods, and op-
portunities."
MARCH 6-12, Girl Scout Week.
MARCH 17, St. Patrick's Day.
MARCH 17 is also Camp Fire Girls
Founders Day. This year it marks the
fiftieth anniversary of the founding of
this youth organization. Its Golden
Jubilee will be celebrated November 1,
1960 to March 31, 1961.
MARCH 20 to 26 marks National
Wildlife Week and is an excellent time
to initiate good conservation programs.
MARCH 21, 1960 has been designated
as National Teen-Agers' Day, "to foster
better relations between teen-ager and
adult." Write to M. J. Mamakos, execu-
tive director, National Teen-Agers' Day
Committee, 8582 Sunset Boulevard, Los
Angeles, for further information.
AND DON'T FORGET that April is Na-
tional Hobby Month. We would like to
have reports about what you are plan-
ning in observation of this or what you
did last year. Will you write us, by re-
turn mail if possible?
HAVE YOU STARTED PLANNING for
National Recreation Month in June?
Last year's theme, "Find New Worlds
Though Recreation," will be continued
this year. Special emphasis of each
week of the month: June 1-7, Youth
Fitness; June 8-14, Family Recreation;
June 15-21, Recreation-and-the-Arts;
June 22-30, Recreation-Through-Serv-
ice. The National Recreation Month kit
will be ready in March. There will be a
poster this year.
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numbers. Strongly welded of square tubular, heavy
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never sag. creak or sway. 3 ft., 4 & 5 ft. units avail-
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FEBRUARY 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
55
RECREATION
FORTY
FATHOMS
DOWN
Four crew members of the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) test emergency breath-
ing apparatus in the crew's mess compartment prior to transiting the polar
ice cap. They while away the interval playing cards, a popular pastime
anywhere, but which also meets the peculiar restrictions of sub activity.
A chief petty officer works on tran-
sistor radio he built in off-duty time
during the sixty-day underwater cruise
of the nuclear-powered USS Sea\volf.
The crew's mess aboard the USS Skate
(SSN-578) is crammed but shipshape.
Here some men off-duty settle down for
backgammon, card game, reading, Java.
THROUGH EXPERIENCE GAINED from Operation Deep
Freeze and extended cruises of such ships as our
weather ships, the U. S. Navy has picked up some
know-how about recreation aboard submarines designed to
stay submerged for long periods of time.
Our submarine personnel are a carefully selected group
of volunteers, proud of their dolphins. They, as a group,
were the least concerned about a "problem" existing regard-
ing their off-duty time while submerged; however, no one
really knows what effect routine submergence for an ex-
tended time has on the human being. In order to combat
possible dulling of the senses, retarding of reaction times,
and other bad effects, a study was undertaken of recreation
at forty fathoms.
The author is not a psychologist, physiologist, or any
other 'gist, but from past experience and through conversa-
tions with officers and crews of several of our nuclear sub-
marines, some observations were made, which are not con-
clusive.
Let's set the stage: there are three basic limitations that
make recreation forty fathoms down "different": (1) Space
for activities is critical, (2) excessive noise cannot be tol-
erated, (3) ventilation is nonexistent.
// there is space, it is soon occupied by another gadget,
MR. WALLER is head of the Recreation and Physical Fitness
Branch of the U. S. Department of Navy, Washington, D. C.
gimmick, or whatever all necessary. One of the doctors
was looking for space for his small black medical bag. He
thought he had found the spot, but it was necessary to put
an instrument panel there. The enlisted men's mess is in
use over sixty percent of the time for meals; the rest of the
time it is used for movies, navigator's charts, and emer-
gency operations, writing letters, table games, and so forth.
Compact? The galley is so small the cooks can stand in one
spot and prepare meals for one hundred people.
Excessive noise cannot be tolerated. Within a good
boarding-house reach of any activity someone is asleep.
There is no day or night in a nuclear submarine, and -hi-
lions must be manned twenty-four hours a day, seven days
a week. So somebody is always eating, sleeping, or on duty.
Keeping the air fit for human consumption is no small
problem. You just cannot "open a port or two for ventila-
tion." So extreme care must be exercised not to contaminate
the atmosphere. Therefore, certain hobby crafts are ruled
out. Conventional submarines usually surface daily to re-
plenish batteries and air supply. Nuclear submarines are
designed to stay submerged, so please bear this in mind
when we talk about off-duty activities.
Here are some of the meat and potatoes of sub recreation
as tried out, and some of the problems arising therefrom:
MOTION PICTURES. Both training films and current
entertainment features are furnished. Two sidelights are
that a possible one out of five turns out to be a real "stinker."
56
RECREATION
Parti-
The Navy's
experience with recreation
in the atomic submarine.
Edmund M. Waller
IBi
Crew members aboard the USS Nautilus watch TV. There is no
day or night when you're down in a nuclear submarine and no
time "out." Stations must be manned twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week. Someone is always eating, asleep, or on duty.
An interior communications electrician pursues
his hobby of leathercraft during his off-duty
hours aboard the USS Seawolf during her his-
toric underwater cruise lasting sixty days in 1958.
Does that occasional stinker (a really bad movie) have a
good psychological effect? Help let off steam? Should we
have all color pictures? This last was a significant ob-
servation, for the men seemed actually to miss color. It
led to exploring the need for lively vivid colors, not just
pastels. After sixty days of exposure to these, all believed
to be scientifically proper for home or shop, would we pre-
fer a shocking pink? A brilliant red? Or what? If color
should prove advantageous, could it be done with a com-
bination of geometrical and free-form splotches of color
on cardboard that could be changed from place to place?
Or should it be done with slides or a stereopticon type of
device? Or was it essential at all?
Here are some other things that needed determining: If
individuals are constantly exposed to the same colors for
weeks, is their color perception dimmed? If so, how long
does it take to readjust when exposed to natural sunlight?
We have all heard of snow blindness. Would we have a sub-
mergence blindness?
By this time you must realize how involved one simple
portion of one activity can become.
TABLE GAMES. One of the large game manufacturers
has agreed to work with us to perfect a game kit, with the
emphasis not on getting a bargain but on saving space.
Game manufacturers normally package games so that they
will have sales appeal, one game to a box. A variety of
games has been purchased and distributed. If six are found
to be continually popular, we plan to place the components
of these six games in one box of the same size normally
containing one game.
COMBINATION MESS TABLES. A combination mess table
and shuffleboard has been developed in cooperation with a
shuffleboard manufacturer. A tailored shuffleboard has a
mess-table top with several games boards imprinted on the
surface, so one can eat or play chess, checkers, etcetera.
Then, off with the top and, presto, three-bank shuffleboard !
One particular submarine had space for a nine-foot shuffle-
board, but before it could be put on board it had to be as-
sembled, cut in half, finished, disassembeld and then put
aboard and reassembled, simply because there is no other
way unless it is built in when the submarine is still on the
ways.
The following will give an idea of the hazards of craft
work aboard a sub:
WOODCARVING. Submarines are designed to remain
hidden from the enemy. Wood floats, so disposition of the
shavings could be embarrasing.
COPPER ENAMELING. Will the fusion process necessary
generate too much heat? Will the air be contaminated ? Be
sure not to use steel wool to clean the copper; metals cleaned
with steel wool leave particles in the air. Steel wool also
burns with a hot flame and can be ignited with a match.
Is this a fire hazard?
MOSAIC TILE. Certain adhesives normally used present
FEBRUARY 1960
57
Crewmen on the USS Albacore (AGSS 569) read, study, and
write letters to background music push-buttoned from a juke-
box. But the men claim that "there's nothing like a dame."
As the L SS Nautilus passes under the Arctic ice, member
of its crew watch one of the two movies shown daily. Boil
training films and current Hollywood releases are shown
two major problems, fire hazard and air contamination.
Sujl WIRE. Not presently believed to be satisfying
enough, and again the adhesive problem.
PAINT BY NUMBERS. Oil paints are taboo, so water-
colors must be used. Are watercolors as effective? Are they
satisfactory?
LEATHERCRAFT. Adhesives and dyes are out for the
present, but work is being done on these.
It is fundamental in all craftwork that short-term pro-
jects be selected. All individuals interviewed wanted thei
product completed prior to returning to home base. Thi
rules out many crafts.
There are many facets to this study of possible submarhi
recreation activities and facilities, and which space lim
itations allow the highlighting of only a few. Perhaps, later
we may be able to go into specifics. ^
Part II, regarding the results obtained from furthe
checking, will appear in an early issue of RECREATION
Strong Constitution Needed
Samuel E. Vickers
In coping with the manifold problems
and complexities of the modern city,
the city manager finds that he is not
on the top but in the center of this
vortex, this whirlwind of interests and
forces, many of which are conflicting
in nature. In a very real sense, he is
in the center, not only in community
affairs but also as a member of his ad-
ministrative team.
He must often depend on his asso-
ciates for advice, criticism, and healthy
opposition, if they feel the need to op-
pose an idea before a decision is made.
The manager is in a much better posi-
tion to secure this kind of help from
his staff if they see him at the center,
not on top, able and willing to give and
take.
The manager must also of course be
Excerpted with permission, from "Avoid
Stress at the Center," in the January
1958 Public Management, MR. VICKERS
is city manager, Long Beach, California.
This applies equally to the city superintend
ent or director of recreation who discover
that he is at the center of things . . .
a good executive, sometimes a hard
driver, and a good leader of men. He
must have great stamina to stand up to
the strain of overwork. He must have
good sense and good judgment. He
must have probity and reliability. And
he must be willing to accept and earn
great responsibility. He must maintain
a high batting average for making the
right decisions quickly, remembering,
however, that even Babe Ruth struck
out now and then. A good sense of
humor is essential to the demands of
his job.
It is essential that he be able to build
and maintain an organization of hu-
man beings. He must be able to choose
capable assistants who will develop
well, and then he must know how to del-
egate authority to them. He must in-
spire his staff to generate new ideas
and procedures. He must hold down
his enthusiasm by sober judgment. He
must not be personally sensitive to criti-
cism. Furthermore, he must exercisi
foresight in anticipating the problem
that will arise and bold imagination ii
developing solutions.
Work at the center creates a situa
lion in which tension and stress are th<
normal climate. The gales of conflic
and controversy are never very far ii
the past or in the future. If thing:
sometimes seem quiet, it is often th<
quiet of the hurricane's eye.
Given this climate in which he works
the manager needs a strong constitu
tion and good health. He should have j
stable nervous system which will not hi
unduly disturbed when he is attacked
He should be able to get along for
liing time with little sleep and still re
tain his cheerfulness anil creativity. Dis
appointment should not drive him intc
depression. He must bounce back. H<
must be philosophical enough to b<
polite to people who do foolish things
He must be patient, even with fanatics
58
RECREATION
FUN TRAVELS NORTH
What recreation activities can
mean to isolated northern stations
of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
H. Gordon McFarlane
WHEN THE Mid-Canada Radar
Line was built, recreation was
given a paramount place in the
total planning. The main stations were
equipped with recreation hal s complete
with gymnasiums, shower and locker
rooms, libraries, photography dark-
rooms, woodworking rooms, and gen-
eral crafts rooms. Even small sites with
two men were not overlooked. A rec-
reation kit designed for two men was
put on these sites. These kits included
crafts materials; small games, such as
darts, checkers, and so on; outdoor
games, such as horseshoes, baseballs
and gloves; as well as a small library,
which included a cookbook. This equip-
ment was placed in a cabinet so con-
structed that it opened out into a work-
bench.
Like the song from the musical South
Pacific the men had everything but
"dames." So the Trans-Canada Tele-
phone system decided to give the men
a spectacle and "dames." Thus, the
Bell Variety Show for isolated RCAF
stations and the Mid-Canada Line was
born.
First step in organizing the show was
to place announcements on the 430 no-
tice boards of the Bell Telephone Com-
pany in Montreal, inviting employees
to auditions. From these we put a two-
hour show together, which included a
chorus line, male and female vocalists,
a magician, and novelty acts. Over sixty
hours of rehearsal on weekday nights
and Saturdays were invested to make
this as professional a show as possible.
MR. McFARLANE, a former recreation
supervisor for the Trans-Canada Tele-
phone system, is currently executive di-
rector of the recently opened Daivson
Boy's Club in Montreal.
FEBRUARY 1960
Money for costumes was raised with
the cooperation of the Telephone Pio-
neers of America (people with over
twenty-one years of service in the Bell
system). The Pioneers sold the tickets
for two performances given by the Bell
show in Montreal. They received forty
percent of the profits and the money
went towards fostering programs for
retired employees. The other sixty per-
cent was adequate to pay for the cos-
tumes.
From these performances we knew
we had a hit on our hands, and we were
now ready to approach the RCAF for
an aircraft. After talking with the rec-
reation officers at Air Defense Com-
mand, we had to prove the show was
worthwhile; the best way to do this was
by putting on a show for headquarters.
A month later we had our aircraft.
Planning for the tour was also going
on at the Mid-Canada Line stations. We
asked all sites to erect a stage at least
twenty-five feet wide, fifteen feet deep,
and three feet high. Back and side cur-
tains were a must, front curtains op-
tional. When we arrived, most sites
had erected stages of forty feet wide
and twenty-five feet deep. All stages
had front, back, and side curtains. The
sewing sessions that had gone into mak-
ing the curtains at these all-male sta-
tions is a story in itself.
A complete program of the show was
sent to each site. This enabled hi-fi
clubs to make arrangements to tape re-
cord all musical numbers with each
number timed to the second. The photo
clubs not only wanted the performance
program but also a program of all ac-
tivities while the troupe was at the sta-
tion so the complete visit could be made
into movies and an album for the mess.
This naturally led to many other
committees being formed, such as a
program committee (each station put
out a newspaper giving the menus for
the special dinner, estimated time of
arrival and departure, and a complete
list of the girls' names, and special ac-
tivities that had been arranged). By
the time the show arrived, each man
had served on at least one committee. A
month of planning and fun went into a
twenty-four hour visit of the Bell Show.
What happened after the show left?
Naturally there was an immediate let-
down. However, in a few weeks, sta-
tions had produced their own variety
show (before the stages were disman-
tled) . The hi-fi clubs had extra tape
recordings of the show made and dis-
tributed to the small isolated two-man
stations, so men on these lonely radar
stations could also share in the activi-
ties to some extent. The men are still
enjoying the photo album and movies
which are being interchanged with
other stations.
The Bell show, in the last few months,
has been doing good work close to
home. The Royal Canadian Mounted
Police were invited whenever possible
to our performances on the Line. When
we arrived back in Montreal we were
invited to do a performance for the
RCMP mess dinner. Our next per-
formance was for inmates of St. Vin-
cent de Paul Penitentiary.
Many more performances for the iso-
lated RCAF stations and veterans hos-
pitals are still on the agenda, and we
sincerely hope that the people in charge
will make our visit more than a per-
formance. We hope they will use our
visit to get people to work together for
enjoyment of life through recreation. #
59
As in many countries, the YMCA
pioneered camping in Burma.
The country's present military
government has turned its
attention to the construction of
youth center buildings.
ACCENT ON YOUT
Part I of this fascinating story of recreation in the Far East
was timed especially for Brotherhood Week, when our thoughts
turn to friends in other lands. Part II will appear in a later issue.
THE DOWNBEAT IS on youth in the Asian countries of
Burma, Pakistan and Thailand, in the new state of
Singapore, and in the Colony of Hong Kong. Visits
to many youth clubs in these countries leave one with the
satisfaction that re-creative experience for youngsters not
only have official sanction but the accent of encouragement.
You find unsuspected opportunities on Hong Kong roof-
tops for boys and girls to make a sampan, kick a miniature
soccer ball, learn to read and write a language or play a
Cantonese musical instrument. In a Singapore village hall,
be ready to listen to a debate or the beat of a drum, strum
of a guitar, and the click of a wood block, and to see an
earnest group engaged in sewing or doll making. In a Paki-
stani village, following the reading of the Koran in a bam-
boo youth hut, youngsters may bat a shuttlecock, play chin-
Ion, or execute a tumbling feat. At a Thailand rural school,
you may find boy and girl 4-H-Club members discussing
how to market fish, playing in a bamboo instrument band,
and closing the meeting with a Buddhist ceremony and the
national anthem. Eager singers, weightlifters, and young
journalists greet you in a Burmese youth group, and you
would have trouble synchronizing your feet and a small
rattan ball in a game of lackraw.
One word of caution. In all of these countries, be ready
for the folk dance, table-tennis game, talent show, athletic
meet, instrumental combo, picnic, and inevitable bottled
soft drink at the canteen. These items probably constitute
an international language for the youth of the world.
MR. WINANS, known to his friends in the recreation field as
"Skip," has been a recreation consultant in the Far East
since 1958 for the Asia Foundation, a private nonprofit
American organization with headquarters in San Francisco.
From 1947-58 he was California State Director of Recrea-
tion. For the next six months he will be working in Malaya
at Kuala Lumpur as honorary recreation advisor to the
government.
60
Hong Kong Rooftops
Boys and girls overflow the British Crown Colony of
Hong Kong including the Kowloon Peninsula and the New
Territories but hundreds of them are bubbling members
of the 190 boys' and girls' clubs, with a variety of agencies
serving as channels for youthful expression. The birds and
the radio waves have plenty of interference on the rooftops
of the colony's multistoried public housing buildings from
the ball batting and kicking, singing, reading, and food-
consuming activities of attractive youngsters. Small, one-
room shelters, constructed at either end of a flat rooftop,
300'-by-30', and a six-foot, chain-link fence are sufficient to
keep future citizens and movable equipment from going
overboard. As always, the real security of a thirty-five-
member boys', girls', or mixed club comes from the young
man or woman club leader. This full-time worker may be
the tutor, recreation leader, food dispenser, and caseworker
for a morning club and an afternoon or evening club com-
posed of different children aged eight to fifteen. Most mem-
bers are from the lower economic levels of a refugee com-
munity. About fifty to sixty thousand of these hungry
children are not yet in school although educational author-
ities have made progress in trying to meet the need for
schooling.
The ingenuity of government and voluntary organizations
is demonstrated in the number and variety of premises for
182 junior clubs serving nine thousand boy and girl mem-^
bers. Temporary buildings in resettlement areas, social wel-
fare centers, community buildings operated by a children's
playground association on public playgrounds, YMCA
and YWCA properties, or even a private residence may be
the bustling hub of a youth club. With so many youngsters
to serve and more coming all the time several agencies
can have their fingers in the club pie without getting them
burned. Their clients are not particularly concerned about
RECREATION
Parti
Sterling S. Winans
ASIA
Square dancing is popular
at the Y in Bangkok.
The Thailand government actively
sponsors the 4-H pattern.
who does what as long as there is something to belong to
where they can read, draw pictures, try their feet on a soc-
cer ball, blow harmonicas, and be on deck for excursions
or maybe a week at camp. Expansion of club opportunities
for the sixteen-to-twenty-one-age group has been recom-
mended by the Standing Conference on Youth Organiza-
tions.
A partnership among youth clubs and their sponsors is
represented by a boys' and girls' clubs association, to which
all clubs are affiliated. The significance of the association
is indicated by the hum of activities in a new five-story
headquarters building with some of its permanent equip-
ment provided through an Asia Foundation grant. The as-
sociation is the largest single operator of clubs 115 clubs
and employs seventy-five full-time leaders. It is the fastest
and one of the most efficient producer of noodles. Yes,
noodles! Flour and milk powder available to the colony
through American aid programs are converted into noodles
and distributed to refugee families through boys' and girls'
clubs.
The government's confidence in the long-term value of
youth clubs is portrayed by its annual grant of fifty-three
thousand dollars to the association and in its partial sub-
sidy of other voluntary organizations engaged in the same
sffort. Assistance is also provided by the government's so-
cial welfare department that operates twenty-two clubs.
Families of club members can and should be partners, too,
in the club movement, and so welfare officers frequently visit
homes of members so that everyone concerned understands
the program and especially the individual youngster.
Heads, Hearts, Hands, and Health of Thai Youth
The friendly and happy youth of Thailand are not to be
outdone by their counterparts in fifty-five other countries
the world where the 4-H Club program is a byword with
boys and girls who live close to the land. Thailand has
A game of checkers in Rangoon, Burma, complete with kibit-
zer. The Burmese love amusements and sports, and particu-
larly to dance (though there is opposition to Western forms) .
A handcraft class on a Hong Kong rooftop. This is taught
not only as recreation but to help women augment meager
incomes. Many agencies, local and international, take part.
FEBRUARY 1960
61
plenty of agricultural land, with rice production account-
ing for over a half of the national income. Its rich central
plain enables it to support a heavy population of twenty-
three million people at a living level well above that of
Southeast Asian countries. At least forty-six hundred boys
and girls are enough concerned about their four H's head,
heart, hands, and health to conduct their own monthly
meetings. In between times they catch up with fish, poultry,
and pigs or try to keep them out of their cherished rice
plots, mushroom patches, and vegetable gardens.
The 4-H pattern, adopted by the Thailand government,
under Premier Field Marshall Sarit Dhanarat, fits in with
the government's community development program in rural
areas. Using a team approach, officials of agriculture, fish-
eries, cooperatives, health, education, and local government
join in helping a village to help itself. Although the agri-
culture department takes the lead in advising Thailand's
one hundred and forty 4-H Clubs, representatives of other
departments may assist. Advisory service has been given
to this youth program, and in other fields, by able American
agricultural extension personnel through the U. S. Opera-
tions Mission.
Thai proudly call their country "Muang Thai" or "Land
of the Free." In keeping with this concept, 4-H clubbers
conduct their own meeting in a formalized style, opening
with a Buddhist ceremony and closing with the national
anthem. At the opening meeting of a new club, a primary
school assembly hall would bulge with onlookers, but the
youthful officers would not be overawed even if the provin-
cial governor were in attendance.
Getting lost is not an infrequent experience for village
youth who go up to the big city for college or university
education. Even young people who have always lived in the
big city can get lost at a university. Bangkok, "The City
of the Angels," is an interesting city and a big one. Like
other cities of the world, it has several universities with
too many students. The Bangkok Youth Cultural Service,
organized with the assistance of the Asia Foundation in
1958, has smoothed the way for some of these men and
women undergraduates. Hard work, long hours, two young
Chinese workers with mainland China experience and a
"staying in the background sense" plus a converted three-
unit residence help to make an interesting center for the
serious Thai students.
These young people like to discuss literature, write and
criticize compositions, learn elementary music theory, try
the guitar or accordion, and sing. The small library loans
books to avid readers and provides a place for scholars to
study, which may not be available in or near their home
quarters. A basketball can make a lot of satisfying bounces
on a hard-surfaced outdoor area, even though the court is
not Olympic in size, and the space can double for volley-
ball and folk dancing for both men and women. Friday and
Saturday night parties usually take first place over badmin-
ton and table tennis, which are accommodated indoors in
a warehouse type of building. Student applications for
membership in the Cultural Service must be approved but
members do not pay a fee ; however, participants must hold
permit cards for the privilege of borrowing library books
or for participation in special music, dancing, or art in-
struction. Activities are scheduled between 10:00 AM and
9:00 PM five days per week.
Burma the Golden Land
The highlight of a tourist's visit to the Golden Land of
Burma would certainly be the reflection of the sun or the
moon from Kipling's "winking wonder," the gold-encrusted
Shwe Dagon Pagoda. This stupa is the largest of its kind
in the world and is encircled by landscaped boulevards and
two lakes in the heart of the beautiful capital city of Ran-
goon. Here, the visitor would soon become aware that
Burmese life, culture, and economy are inextricably bound
up with the Buddhist religion. While you enjoy a dish of
rice and curry, you would cast approving glances at the
traditional costume for both men and women a loose-fit-
ting white or colored jacket and the lungyi. which is a shirt
of silk or cotton resembling a sarong.
If you were more fortunate, you would discover other
highlights about the Burmans who love amusements and
sports. To keep up with them, you would sit up most of the
night watching pwe a theatrical show and singing or en-
joying Burmese music. Musical instruments bear some re-
semblance to the Java or Balinese gamelan. Although there
is some opposition to Western forms of dancing, Burmese
love to dance. There is interest in many sports other than
boxing with the bare fists weightlifting, swimming, and
chinlon, a game played by kicking a cane ball. For reasons
of feminine modesty, there is some reluctance to the partici-
pation of women in sports.
To perpetuate these traditions in sport, music, art. and
drama for Burmese youth, the present military government,
under General Ne Win, has given consideration to the con-
struction of youth center buildings in Rangoon. The com-
missioner of police, U Khin Maung Maung, established the
first club in September 1959. He found that some of the
boys between the ages of ten to fifteen, living in the heart
of a business area, needed a club and that a two-story build-
ing, formerly used as a home for dependent children, could
be used as premises. About seventy-five boys jumped at the
chance to use the reading room, saw wood, hammer nails,
and decorate boats; lift some weights, sheet a basket, and
wear out the table tennis nets. At the request of the com-
missioner's advisory committee for the new club, he has
assigned two nonuniformed policemen to work full time as
club leaders. With one eye on the need of the boys, the
committee has turned to other agencies who may step in
and establish several clubs.
If one of these eager boy clubbers has good fortune, he
may sometime become one of the eight thousand men and
women students at the University of Rangoon. There, he
will not And a boys' club, but he will be using the student
center building now under construction with financing from
the Asia Foundation. To the boy or the girl the new
i:\iimasium. assembly hall, library, and. certainly, the food
service will be real attractions. And it will be difficult for
the I ni\ri>ilv Sports Council to keep him out of it> >e\rn-
teen-sport internal! and interdepartment programs which
serve over ten percent of the student population e;u It \ear.
62
RECREATION
THE BIG PERSONAL and social holi-
day of the year is New Year's
Day. But not the New Year of
the Christian calendar. It is the New
Year of the ancient Mongol calendar,
which usually falls in February. This
is the one occasion when the people ex-
change gifts and when they greet each
other by stretching out their arms
slightly and giving a small bow.
This is the season of the national
holiday, the "Naadam." In literal
translation this means "games." In the
day of Genghis Khan the Naadam
lasted a month. It occurred in July,
traditionally a time of relaxation for the
nomad people. By July the herds were
safely in the upper valley pastures. The
shearing of wool was well behind. The
foaling and the lambing were over. It
is a season of plenty, a good time to
relax and prepare for the campaigns of
fall and the trials of winter.
In ancient days the Naadam was de-
voted to what the Mongols still call
"the three games of men": horse rac-
ing, archery, and Mongolian wrestling.
By the time of the autonomous Mongol
regime of 1911-21, the Naadam had
been reduced to a week. Today it lasts
only three days.
But today, as it was seven hundred
Reprinted, with permission,, from The
New York Times. MR. SALISBURY is a
special Times correspondent.
RECREATION IN
OUTER MONGOLIA
Leisure-time activities
in the ancient domain
of Mongol emperors.
years ago, the Naadam is basically the
same three games of men. True, the
Communist regime has added a full
program of track and field sports.
There are parades and pageants by the
inevitable physical culture societies.
Ulan Bator has a great new stadium
with fifteen thousand seats in which
spectators may watch the Naadam, in
place of the grassy lawns between the
ceremonial tents of ancient days.
But none of the modern innovations
has materially altered the character of
the Naadam. In the week before the
festival, cavalcades of horsemen begin
to descend upon Ulan Bator from all
the ends of Outer Mongolia. They
come as families and as tribes. They
pack their yurts on wooden wheeled
carts or on camels. In the encampments
outside the city, white yurts spring up
like enormous mushrooms after a rain.
When the great holiday finally dawns,
it is not the grandiose ballet of the gym-
nasts that draws the spectators. It is
the archers, sometimes men of seventy,
sometimes boys of seventeen, whom the
crowds watch as they compete to the
keening chant of the old men. The
chant rises and falls. It rises when an
arrow topples the target of earthen pots.
It falls when the winged shaft fails short
of the mark.
The largest stadium crowd is at-
tracted by the wrestlers, who present
themselves to the audience in an arm-
flapping pirouette that is said to be
modeled on the walk of the eagle. The
wrestling, too, is conventionalized on
Harrison E. Salisbury
ancient formula. If an elbow or knee
touches the ground the contestant loses.
This year's champion was twenty-nine-
year-old Damdin, a four-time winner,
nicknamed "the Lion." He won over
opponents bearing the titles "the Ele-
phant," "the Eagle," "Great Mongol,"
and "Titan."
But the greatest competition of all is
that of the horsemen. They are not nec-
essarily men. Many are children both
boys and girls. The biggest race this
year was that for boys and girls six to
fourteen years old.
Four hundred forty youngsters com-
peted, wearing the strange crusader's
helmet of cloth that Mongol racers have
worn for centuries. Only a handful
failed to finish. This was not a sprint
race over the turf but a gallop of forty-
five kilometers (about twenty-eight
miles) over cattle trails in the open
grass plains. There was nothing about
the scene that Genghis Khan would
have had difficulty in recognizing ex-
cept the dozen automobiles of the dip-
lomatic corps that raced alongside the
young riders. #
We are the mediating nation of the
world, ' ive are compounded of the na-
tions of the world; we mediate their
blood, we mediate their traditions, we
mediate their sentiments, their tastes,
/heir passions: we are o'irselves com-
pounded of these things. We are, there-
fore, able to understand all nations.
WOODROW WILSON.
FEBRUARY 1960
63
Before the recent general election in England both the
Conservative and Labour Parties issued policy statements
regarding the compelling social and economic problems
created by an era of ever-increasing leisure. The Labour
Party's statement, issued as a fifty-two-page pamphlet en-
titled Leisure for Living,* was approved by its National
Executive Committee for consideration by the party's An-
nual Conference. The Conservative statement, in a smaller,
twenty-three-page pamphlet, entitled The Challenge of Lei-
sure,** prepared by a nine-man committee, including four
members of Parliament, is a "contribution to discussion
and not an official party pronouncement." (The report was
published by the Conservative Political Centre, which is
the party's board of strategy.) We here give their highlights.
The Politics of
LEISURE
Conservative and Labour views on recreation
and culture in Great Britain.
Start of a model yacht rod
Hertfordshire County Camp was set up by government to
teach school children camping skills and new pursuits.
They come during the summer for courses of about a week.
LEISURE FOR LIVING -The Labour Party
EVERYONE HAS THE right to a decent job. But work
is not the chief end of man.
"In the past we have been preoccupied be-
cause we have had to be with the struggle against unem-
ployment and insecurity. The postwar Labour Government
proved that, in a properly planned society, it is possible to
guarantee full employment; and, as automation spreads, it
will also become possible, while maintaining full employ-
ment, steadily to lessen the number of hours that most peo-
ple have to work.
"These two great advances will mean a drastic shift in
our social thinking. Once full employment is again secured,
the emphasis will increasingly be not on jobs for all but
on leisure for all leisure and how to use it. . . .
"This does not mean that we want to be state nannies and
run everybody's private lives for them. But the principle
that public money ought to be spent in encouraging the arts,
and in providing for many kinds of recreation, is universal-
ly accepted; indeed, its acceptance is one test of civilisation.
It is the application of the principle, and the extent to which
it is applied, that should now be worked out more coher-
ently, imaginatively, and generously. . . .
". . . in most areas facilities for recreation are lacking.
Where they do exist they are often inadequate and uneco-
*Available for two shillings ($.22) from the Labour Party, Trans-
port House, Smith Square, London SW1, England.
**Availahle for ninepence ($.11) from The Conservative Political
Centre, 32 Smith Square, London SW1, England.
nomically used. Many business firms, for example, have
playing fields or swimming pools which are used only at
weekends. Many schools do not use theirs in the evenings
or during the holidays. Local sports committees could help
to enlist the co-operation of those concerned in making
these largely wasted assets available to many who would
like to use them. . . .
"It is in the preservation of the natural beauty of our
country and in its opening up for enjoyment by more and
more people that there is probably the greatest scope for
meeting leisure-time needs and, at the same time, contrib-
uting to the general well-being. In a recent survey, it \\as
estimated that only about half of the people of Britain take
their annual holidays away from home. This fact alone
well illustrates the need both for greatly increased facilities
for inexpensive family holidays, and for opportunities to
enjoy recreation in the open air in places easily accessible
at weekends and for day outings. . . .
". . . we have quoted figures to show the approximate
sums needed for the purposes that we have in mind. These
sums represent a much larger national expenditure on the
arts, and on sport, than has hitherto been incurred. It is
remarkable, therefore, that the average total expenditure
that they would involve, through the Exchequer, would be
less than one penny a week per head of the population. It is
clear that so modest an amount though it would, cum-
ulatively, provide all that is reasonably required would
mean no increase, at all, in the level of taxation. . . ."
64
RECREATION
it Highgate Ponds in London.
From June to September some 13,000 to 14,000 miners and
their families visit Derby Miner's Welfare Holiday Center
at Skegness on Britain's east coast for an annual holiday.
Boys from a youth hostel pause to take in the view on
a hike in Yorkshire. Mountain walking is popular. The
country has set up national recreation training centers.
THE CHALLENGE OF LEISURE-Conservative Party
r IHERE ARE TWO main reasons why the use of lei-
I sure has become a question of national impor-
tance since the war.
"The first of these is the emancipation of the adolescent,
happening so suddenly that it has taken everybody by sur-
prise. Young people nowadays have more spare time, more
money and more surplus energy than they have ever had
before and all within the space of a decade. What all too
many of them lack, however, is a corresponding sense of
purpose and of personal responsibility. . . .
"The second is the scientific revolution with its promise
of increasingly more leisure. Rising productivity and grow-
ing 'automation' (in the home as well as in the factory and
office) have already made for shorter working hours and
higher living standards, and this welcome process will ac-
celerate. The leisured class, it might be said, has made way
for the age of leisure.
"We expect the end of National Service 'call-up' and the
'bulge' emerging from the schools to make this a com-
pelling issue in the early 1960's. . . ."
The party called for an expenditure of $19,600,000 to
$28,000,000 a year to assure a "creative use of leisure."
Among the projects suggested were a national theater and
a national theater company, an increase in the national
grant for the Arts Council, which subsidizes artistic enter-
prises, and an expansion of facilities and services for youth.
"The youth service used to be maintained by voluntary
organisations for young people of poor circumstances or in
actual need. For the last twenty years, provision has been
made on a basis of partnership between both voluntary and
statutory organisations.
"Today, the concept ought to be a service catering for
children still at school as well as for the fifteen- to twenty-
one-year-olds who, as an age group, have more surp'us en-
ergy, time, and spending power than almost any other sec-
tion of the community. . . .
"This change of role, from need to the creative use of
leisure, has not yet been fully understood. The public un-
awareness of this change, together with economic pressures,
accounts for the lack of support for a service, which should
be expanding rather than contracting. . . .
"Above all, leisure makes a challenge to the human
spirit. Athens, in her Golden Age, displayed a genius for
the creative use of leisure in athletics, for example, and
the arts which can be seen as complementary, and indeed
superior, to her genius for military and commercial ven-
tures. There have also been such periods of all-pervasive
inspiration in the history of other peoples. . . .
"This challenge to the human spirit is the key to our
proposals. Since the war, we have succeeded in recouping
a substantial part of our material resources, but our moral
resources still appear in disarray. Again, the doubling of
our standard of living will present a growing challenge
to the human spirit and produce the graver consequences
should we fail to meet it. We neglect the proper use of
leisure at our peril."
FEBRUARY 1960
65
It's as old as the first game
and the first laugh the happy,
human inclination to do a thing-
JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT
Learning the finer points of basketball in Hong Kong.
EVER SINCE SOME desperate cave-
man discovered that he could
keep the kids quiet by clacking
a couple of dinosaur bones together,
the human family has searched for
ways to amuse itself and been notably
successful in finding them. The ancient
Egyptians were indulgent parents who
cherished their children, and family
games resembling checkers and par-
cheesi were popular along the Nile. The
Greeks attached great importance to
Reprinted with permission, from Aram-
co World, July 1959, published by
Arabian American Oil Company, New
York City.
66
physical development and while mother
was home teaching sister how to pirou-
ette gracefully, likely as not father was
at the local gymnasium, demonstrating
a new wrestling hold to junior.
Amusements were even rougher in
the gamey days of medieval England,
when men and women played a mus-
cular version of blindman's buff. The
object was to swat the unlucky It as
hard as possible without pelting caught.
If the small fry joined in, they had to be
prepared to defend themselves.
Today, things are a little different,
but not much. TV and automobiles not-
withstanding, children and adults the
world over apparently have the same
ancestral urge to jump, to climb, to run.
to throw, to hide, and to find.
Consider the Burmese. It doesn't
take much coaxing to get the family
embroiled in a sizzling game of chlnlon.
Dad folds up and tucks in his lonp, \ /'.<
I skirt) to make improvised but effective
"shorts," then joins the gang to form a
small circle. The chinlon ball is a woven
hollow rattan sphere about three inches
in diameter and weighing about fi\e
ounces. It is tossed into the air and
from then on is hit with feet, kn-->.
shoulders, head, or any parts of the
body except the hands. A player may
keep it aloft for several minutes by him-
self, then pass it on to his companion!
or it may pass quickly from one to an-
other, across or around the circle. First
one to drop the ball loses and, if agreed
beforehand, pays a forfeit helping
prepare supper is a favorite penalty.
The Japanese, who prefer their play
after meals, often decide who will help
with the dishes in this novel way: while
they are still seated, each is called upon
to tell a story, in one breath. It ma\
be a fable, an adventure story, a tall
tale, anything. First one to pause for
breath is handed the dish towel.
In Africa, where the business of liv-
ing is intimately connected with getting
along with nature, fun is necessaril)
practical and favorite family games em-
phasize manual dexterity. Almost .1-
soon as they can walk. Ethiopian boys
an- introduced by their father to duty-
atya, a spear-throwing contest. The
RECREATION
boys line up, weapons in hand, while
fifty feet away Pop starts a hoop rolling
across a field. Spears whiz through the
air toward the rolling hoop, which
rarely moves far before someone's spear
hits it and brings it to a stop.
Occasionally, a Congo family still
has to take to a tree to get away from
some rampaging cat, so bokwele is
played early and often. The bark of a
stick is peeled in such a way that alter-
nating dark and white rings are left.
With thumb and forefinger, as if climb-
ing up the stick, participants follow one
finger with the other, space by space,
saying as fast as their fingers move,
bokwele, bokwele, bokwele. The point
is to see how many spaces can be cov-
ered before taking a new breath. Older
children and adults play the game on a
grander scale, using a real tree, strong
arms and legs.
Just about every culture admires
physical skill. The Spaniard takes his
brood to see the weekly bullfight. Ca-
nadians are notorious hockey buffs.
German families root themselves hoarse
over a spirited soccer game. And it's
been said that the only time an English-
man loses his legendary composure is
during a cricket match.
But for sheer physical demands on
participants, you would have to go some
to beat the spectacular Tinikling Dance
of the Philippines.
The tinikling is a bird with storklike
legs and a long neck. The Tinikling
Dance imitates the bird's movements as
it walks between grass stems or runs
over tree branches. The performers
just about everybody, since the Tini-
sling Dance is to the Philippines what
the waltz used to be to Vienna dance
between two bamboo poles, about nine
Feet long, which are placed horizontally
on the ground. Two bamboo players
sit opposite each other on the ground
and strike the poles together in time to
the music. A subtle refinement is to
raise the poles an inch or two higher
each time they're struck. The longer
the tune, the higher the dancers have to
jump.
Skill is demonstrated in dancing be-
tween the bamboos and in keeping the
feet from being caught when the poles
are slammed shut. Sometimes adults
dance while two children are in charge
of the poles, sometimes vice-versa. It's
not at all unusual to see an ankle-band-
aged gentleman limping to work in the
Philippines after a particularly rough
dance session. A simple explanation to
curious friends suffices: "Tinikling."
Rough-housing has risen to a fine art
among today's Pitcairn Islanders, de-
scendants of the Bounty mutineers and
local Polynesians. For amusement, vil-
lage families regularly conduct a mam-
moth tug of war, males against females,
that frequently lasts from noon till sun-
down. Birth, death, and marriage are
universal reasons for a gathering of the
clan. Wakes are common and unruly
No one must laugh or speak; anyone
who does must drop out of the game.
Winner is the last dead pan.
Very popular, too, is The Coffee Cup
Game. Two teams, A and B, are each
supplied with six coffee cups. One
player on each team provides a ring.
Team A hides its ring under one of its
cups while Team B is out of the room.
Team A calls them in when ready and
Team B selects one player to guess. If
he guesses correctly, his team has the
privilege of hiding its ring under one
of its cups and someone from Team A
has to guess where it is. If he guesses
wrongly, he must, as a forfeit, perform
a stunt as directed by members of Team
Children like same simple games the world round, whether in Brooklyn or Burma.
from Togoland to Ireland. In pre-
Communist China, every tenth year of
a person's life was supposed to have
special significance. A family might
spend the equivalent of a thousand dol-
lars on one of these "important" birth-
day parties, inviting not only the whole
huge network of cousins and in-laws,
but neighboring families as well.
One favorite can best be translated
as "Solemnity." The players sit on the
floor in a circle and choose one to start.
He makes some gesture, such as tickling
his neighbor on the right, under the
chin, or grimacing. Each player repeats
the gesture with the person to his right.
A anything from singing a song to
imitating an animal.
Although the ingenuity of every cul-
ture in devising games is staggering,
even more amazing is the number of
identical games that seem to have
developed independently in different
lands. Follow-the-leader, hide-and-
seek, and leapfrog, for example, are
played by Eskimos and Englishmen,
Fiji Islanders and Frenchmen, Zulus
and Zealanders. Anthropologists have
never been able to explain satisfactorily
how the same game somehow appeared
in so many places. The players them-
selves don't care it's fun! #
FEBRUARY 1960
67
Most of us prefer to do our winter "camping" in
comfort, venturing forth from a lodge.
This is Badger Pass Ski Lodge, Yosemite National Park.
Winter
Camping
A new area of program . . .
Stanley W. Stocker
NESTLED BESIDE A snowbound lake are a group of five
young adults. Through the ice, they have caught
five beautiful bass, scaled and cleaned them, and,
amidst laughter and tomfoolery, fried them to a delicate,
golden brown. Baked potatoes, peas, fruit, and coffee have
assuaged their appetites and so they sit quietly by the fire,
cheeks glowing, eyes bright. They have learned the art of
living in the out-of-doors in the wintertime.
However, for a large number of otherwise active young
people, our culture has erected a barrier of fear and dis-
taste for winter camping. We prefer to regulate the thermo-
stat, check for storm warnings, and hibernate. Prejudiced
by our folkways, we do not stop to count the cost of joys
unattained, conquests unmade, sights unseen ; we do realize
that winter camping can be done in many ways and at many
levels.
Winter snow camping is a graduated experience, ranging
from living in well-heated cabins to the ultimate test ex-
periencing a night in the open, in subzero temperatures,
and discovering that such an experience is a pleasant one.
Many of us prefer to do our "camping" in a comfortable
lodge or cabin, well protected from wind and snow. We
make expeditions to ski, to fish through the ice, to laugh
with the children as they slide down the hills and to do
a little sliding ourselves! Cabin experiences have their
place; sleeping in the out-of-doors in the middle of winter
is the end point of the experience, not the beginning.
Winter camping activities are many. It may be said
that skiing is to winter camping what swimming is to sum-
mer camping. Many of the large mass-type games used in
the summer can be modified for winter use. Snow tracking,
skating, skate sailing, darkhouse ice fishing and spearing,
tobogganning and snow shoeing are only a few program
possibilities.
A large number of resident camps in this country are
partially or completely winterized, and are often available
for recreation department or agency use. School vacations
offer valuable opportunities for the development of winter
camping programs. It is also true that trip programs can
certainly be continued on a year-round basis. Over one
hundred youth hostels are available in the United States
and Canada to provide low-cost accommodations for such
groups.
Many city recreation departments operate day camps and
summer camping programs. In many cases, these programs
close with the first cold snap. Considering the great interest
in skiing, ice skating, and other forms of out-of-door winter
MR. STOCKER is executive director, Metropolitan New
Council, American Youth Hostels, New York City.
68
RECREATION
recreation, such terminations are difficult to justify.
Winter camping needs more detailed planning than does
summer camping. In the summer, one can take off for the
woods with minimum clothing and equipment. Not so in
winter! A little know-how will solve the problem, but it
is important fer the participants to learn the basics before
heading out. (At the end of this article are listed some good
sources of information that are readily available in most
parts of the country.)
The really enthusiastic camper will accept the challenge
of winter camping. The thrill of coping with the winter
elements, relying on your own resources, will be long re-
membered. Today's teen-agers, looking for new and differ-
ent experiences, might be introduced to winter camping's
more rugged elements; other folk may prefer to spend the
days in the out-of-doors, sleeping and eating in a warm area.
The McGill University Outing Club has been winter
camping for over fifteen years. These experiences have
proven so pleasant that it is reported to be a common ex-
perience for small groups of club members to spend the
night in a sleeping bag in the snow, rather than staying in-
doors in a club shelter. The McGill Outing Club limits
their group to four or five, with an experienced leader.
The present trend toward year-round camping and the
prevailing enthusiasm for skiing have combined to increase
rapidly the amount of winter camping in this country. As
each of the many variations in winter camping can appeal
to "all sorts and conditions of people," there is every reason
to believe in the potential growth of and interest in this
type of program. (See also Page 82.) #
Program Aids
Snow-Survey Safety Guide. U. S. Department of Agri-
culture, Soil Conservation Service, Agriculture Handbook
#137, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.
$.40.
A key reference for winter camping leaders. Easy to read, it is valu-
able for all persons interested in winter camping. A few topics cov-
ered are : preparing for travel, rules for oversnow travel, and the like.
Winter Camping, Hiking, and Sports (Cat. #6-92), Boy
Scouts of America, New Brunswick, New Jersey. $.15.
Well-illustrated booklet of reprints from Boys' Life Magazine. It
should be read by all before they try any variations of winter camp-
ing. Contains how-to-do-it articles on skate sailing, snow-shoeing,
ski trips, and ice fishing.
The Adirondack Winter Mountaineering Manual, Winter
Activities Committee of the Adirondack Mountain Club,
Inc., Gabriels, New York. $.50.
A real leadership manual developed as the text for the Adirondack
Winter Mountaineering School. While its contents are developed
specifically for the Adirondack region, much of its wealth of prac-
tical, factual information can be modified to meet the needs of all
parts of the country.
Ski Patrol Manual (2nd ed.) , National Ski Patrol System,
Headquarters, 1130 16th Street, Denver 2, Colorado.
$1.00.
A good general coverage of ski equipment, safety, first aid, and full
information about the formation of a ski patrol.
Many people hesitate to venture forth into the winter
world because of prejudice, fear, and lack of know-how.
FEBRUARY 1960
Proper clothing and an experienced leader are impor-
tant elements in making a winter outing a happy event.
69
AMERICAN
TEEN-AGERS IN
JAPAN
Climbing Fuji! These youngsters greet a neic day from the top of the ivorld.
Bill Bcede, 15, buys fruit before the
climb from a Japanese salesgirl in the
market place of town of Fuji-Yoshida.
Lore Gonzalez (right), 18, and Lisa
Beasley, 16, turn in tickets for the
bus ride to the Number One station.
Young climbers unload gear from truck
at the base of Mount Fuji. They took
along sufficient food for three meals.
With gear strapped on his back, this At each station the teen-age group had Silhouetted against a ,-loud joimation.
young climber gets set to travel by their "Fuji sticks" stamped for a fee 7/><w'.sr guidr /crc/.v /m earnem .<
horseback to station Number Seven, of ten yen as a souvenir of the trip. In- trie.', to ear/me shot oi horizon.
ui \ini\
he young Fuchu group walks through
sacred Sengen Shrine,
leaded for the Japanese bus station.
S/Sgt. Jerry S. Ray
Photos: T Sgt. O. A. "Chieo" Garcia
AMERICAN TEEN-AGERS IN Japan,
sons and daughters of air force
personnel, spend their summer
vacation mountain climbing. These
youngsters don't scale just any old
mountain; they tackle the highest and
most famed in the country Fuji.
At one time the most feared volcano
in Japan but today a climber's para-
dise, Fuji recently yielded to thirty-
three novice adventurers from Fuchu
Air Station near Tokyo. The young
group reached the 12,397-foot peak in
two stages of five and two hours and
watched the sunrise come up over one
of the most beautiful volcanoes in the
world, a lava-covered mountain, which
last erupted in 1707. To reach Fuji the
young climbers started their outing
from Fuchu some eighty miles distant
early in the morning in order to be-
gin their trek up the same afternoon.
The trip by bus consumed four hours
of slow driving over rough, winding
roads, which led far up into the scenic
countryside of central Japan. Packed
in with the American teen-agers was
necessary gear.
Arriving at the air-force operated
Fuji New Grand Hotel around one PM,
the climbing party secured rooms for
their return trip from the mountain the
following day, ate lunch, and made
preparations to spend the night on
Mount Fuji.
As a rule, the weather plays a big
part in scaling this ancient volcano.
Snow never disappears from its summit
even in the height of summer. The
middle of the year, especially during
July and August, is usually the best time
to climb.
Leaving the hotel the youngsters rode
by bus to the town of Fuji-Yoshida, site
of the sacred Sengen Shrine and nearest
starting point from the Fuji New Grand.
They had a choice of six popular routes
up the mountain the Gotemba, Suba-
shiri. Funatsu, Shoji, Fujinomiya, and
Yoshida paths. Most foreign climbers
use the Yoshida path since uphill travel
is much easier and distance from the
hotel is only fifteen miles. This path,
like other routes up Mount Fuji, is di-
vided into ten sections, or stations, all
of unequal distances.
At each section overnight accommo-
dation in stone shelter huts is offered
for a fee of 350 yen (about one dollar) .
The Fuchu group walked through the
sacred Sengen Shrine grounds from the
town of Fuji-Yoshida, paid eighty-five
yen each to travel by Japanese bus to
the number one section, and at six PM
began the climb up the mountain. Total
time required to climb Mount Fuji is
from seven to nine hours.
Many climbers rent horses at the
first section for fourteen hundred yen
(about four dollars) and ride as far as
the seventh station, over nine thousand
feet up. Each section offers "Fuji
sticks" for sale which are purchased,
not as climbing aids, but as souvenirs
since they may be stamped at each level
for a fee of ten yen.
Reaching the eighth section at eleven
PM these young climbers bedded down
for the night in one of the stone huts.
Then, arising early, around four AM,
they took another two-hour climb to the
top in time for sunrise.
As "Goraiko," Japanese word for the
honorable coming of the sunlight, set-
tled above the huge crater, the teen-
agers watched the shadows crawl across
one of the most magnificent cone-shaped
volcanos in existence. Such adventure
will be deeply imbedded in their minds
forever.
Even in the height of summer, snow is
still found atop Mount Fuji. July and
August are the best times for the climb.
FEBRUARY 1960
Japanese guide leads a group of teen-
agers down a "lava slide." Mountain
route is divided into ten stations.
Young Mark Edwards had to go half
way back up the mountain to retrieve a
camera left behind at route station.
71
GOOD SPORTS GOOD FRIENDS
As we observe Brotherhood Week, February
21-28, it is heartwarming to see how the ball
bounced in a Pan American basketball tour.
Harold F. Moor
~W f WE ARE going to ta ke advan-
tage of the assumption that all
people want peace, then the
problem is for people to get together
and to leap governments if necessary
evade governments to work out not
one method but thousands of methods
by which people can gradually learn a
little bit more of each other." This is
the challenge President Eisenhower has
flung at the American people. This is
the challenge the members of the Peo-
ple-to-People Sports Committee, the
National Recreation Association, and
various municipal recreation depart-
ments accepted when they played hosts
to an amateur basketball team from
Ecuador for thirty days.
It all began when the U. S. ambassa-
dor to Ecuador, cognizant of the fact
that when good sportsmen get together
the resulting friendship is usually gen-
uine, suggested that the People-to-Peo-
ple Sports Committee invite an all-star
team from Ecuadorian universities to
visit the United States and play a series
of games here. The committee found
itself financially able to comply with
the ambassador's wishes, and the invi-
tation was extended, accepted, and the
programing wheels put into gear.
Seven recreation departments were
chosen, and the stops on the tour be-
came Jacksonville, Florida; Washing-
ton, D. C.; Livingston, New Jersey;
Worcester, Massachusetts; Niagara
Falls, New York; Cincinnati, Ohio; and
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As was to be
expected, programing varied from com-
munity to community, but in each case
MR. MOOR is executive director oj
the People-to-People Sports Committee.
the sixteen visitors were greeted offi-
cially, visited colleges and universities,
attended a basketball clinic, and played
one or two games, winning their share.
Knowing little about the calibre of
game played by the visitors, it was sur-
prising how closely contested most of
the games were.
All departments were excellent hosts,
but because of subsequent develop-
ments in the suburban community of
Livingston, it is significant to give the
details of the program developed there.
The Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary, and wom-
en's clubs cosponsored the visit. The
group was housed in private homes. On
the evening of their arrival they were
feted at a banquet and officially greeted.
Since Nathan Mallison of Jacksonville
had passed the word along to the other
departments that the group was quite
lackadaisical about keeping appoint-
ments, each of the visitors was presented
with a traveling alarm clock, and the
leader with an embossed scrapbook.
The following day was reserved for
sightseeing in New York City, with the
group traveling to the city in a char-
tered bus. It began with a visit to
the Empire State Building observation
tower and ended with supper in an
Automat. In between was lunch at the
Yale Club, movies of the 1956 Olympic
Games, a tour of the United Nations,
the Radio City Music Hall, a subway
ride, and, of course, shopping. The
next day's program included attending
a high-school assembly, some ice skat-
ing, a visit to a local university, and
spectating at a local high-school basket-
ball game.
Playing an overtime game with an
all-star team from the senior recreation
league and watching a college game
were chief items on the following day's
agenda. Mass and a special breakfast
at a local church concluded the team's
program in Livingston, but not its con-
tact with friends made there. For ex-
ample, on the day the team was sched-
uled to return to its native land, a group
of Livingston friends arranged to get
in touch with the team in Miami, so as
to bid them bon voyage; letters have
flown back and forth freely ever since.
Other interesting sidelights include
the reprinting, in Ecuador, of a sports
cartoon which appeared in a Worcester
paper, depicting a local basketball play-
er in uniform telling an Ecuadorian
outfitter in a fur coat, "It's just the
weather that's cold, not the people.''
Another souvenir from Worcester was
a statement in an editorial appearing in
a local college paper: "Without a donl>t
these fine athletes accomplished more
for international relations than a whole
regiment of professional ambassadors."
The visit of the Ecuadorians took
place in January 1959 and. except for
The People-to-People Sports
Committee is a membership cor-
poration dedicated to the promo-
tion of international sports ex-
changes on the premise that \\lu-n
good sportsmen get together mu-
tual understanding and friend-hip
are broadened. Its chairman is
Edward P. F. Eagan of Olympic
fame. For further information
write the committee at 20 Ex-
change Place, New York 5.
72
RECREATION
Two of the visitors from Ecuador join in a song
fest at the home of one of the families
in Livingston, New Jersey. Letters have flown
back and forth freely ever since.
the exchanges of letters that followed
between the visitors and new American
friends, might well have been the be-
ginning and end of this international
sports exchange. However, early in
June, the Sports Committee received an
invitation from the president of the Di-
rectory of the University Sports League
in Quito for an American basketball
team to participate in a tourney to be
held at Central University in July. Any
of the teams the Ecuadorians played
while on their tour would be acceptable,
but particularly the team from Livings-
ton. All expenses would be paid from
Miami on.
Robert Sisco, superintendent of rec-
reation and parks in Livingston, imme-
diately replied, "Sure, our boys will be
glad to go, and we'll raise the money
for new uniforms and transportation to
Miami somehow." This information
was relayed in a formal invitation to
Bob, reading in part: "We hope that
this invitation will be accepted and that
you understand that by it we are at-
tempting to show our appreciation to
the people of Livingston and to all the
American families there for the recep-
tion given our team during its visit to
the United States."
The team departed on schedule, re-
turning ten days later with many fond
memories and additional friends, not
only in Ecuador, but in Panama and
Peru, which also had representatives in
the tournament. Handicapped by the
high altitude and unaccustomed food
as well as rules, officiating, and even
court markings which were new to them,
they managed to win only one of five
games played, but that made no differ-
ence. As one of the boys explained :
"Time means nothing in Quito. The
people were always willing to stay and
talk or do us a favor. They were ex-
tremely friendly. Before every game we
were besieged by autograph seekers. Al-
though we didn't come out ahead in the
tournament, we were way out front as
far as friendship and good will go." $:
Have You Tried . . .
A HAPPINESS FUND?
Many individuals and organizations
are willing to render financial support
to recreation projects for the less fortu-
nate if they are assured their donations
will bring a maximum of happiness.
The Montana State Training School at
Boulder is an institution for the men-
tally retarded of all chronological and
mental ages and, like many others, must
rely upon donated funds to enrich its
recreation program.
A good example of wise use of do-
nated dollars is the school's recently
completed merry-go-round which, if
purchased, would have cost twenty-five
thousand dollars. But with dedicated
personnel and access to a well-equipped
machine shop, the cost was approxi-
mately three thousand. This device,
with a capacity for fifty, has two areas
specially designed for wheelchairs, is
equipped with safety belts and a simu-
lated pipe organ, contains speakers that
broadcast traditional carousel music.
Since this type of Wild-West horseman-
ship proves exciting, adequate toilet fa-
cilities have been erected on the site.
Nearby, a railroad operates on a quar-
ter-mile course.
The horses for the merry-go-round
were cast in the school shop from three
thousand pounds of aluminum donated
by the Anaconda Company. They were
cast in sections, had to be electrowelded
together, were then painted by the boys.
This, in itself, was a high recreation
venture. This device brings more hap-
piness to more boys and girls than any-
thing else we have.
We were fortunate in getting the pure
aluminum donation; but prior to that,
aluminum scrap pots, pans, and so on
were collected and melted down. The
furnace was fire brick piled on the shop
floor: the heat, a kerosene weed burner
which produced the necessary twelve
hundred degrees needed to melt alumi-
num.
In the past few years, over twenty-six
thousand dollars have been collected
and expended solely for recreation pur-
poses by various methods. These meth-
ods are a story in themselves, and range
from the wishing well, which greets the
visitor, to an increasing number of me-
morial donations. Arthur E. Westwell.
Superintendent, Montana State Train-
ing School, Boulder.
FEBRUARY 1960
73
Floodlighting can be planned for areas encompassing a
single activity or for multiple-use using one installation.
Wallace W. Weld
FLOODLIGHTING
OUTDOOR
RECREATION
AREAS
In which basic techniques are
discussed and pointed up by
photographs and diagrams.
THE MOST IMPORTANT feature of floodlighting is in
the extended use of area and equipment it permits.
In this way a land area enjoys a greater usage and
thus becomes more worthwhile. In some areas, because of
high daytime temperatures, evening play is desirable and
thus floodlights are essential.
Floodlighting a recreation area is relatively quite sim-
ple. Single areas may be laid out or overall plans can be
made to encompass several activities. It is good practice
to include multiple-use areas in a lighting system; in llii-
way, several different activities may be taken care of by
one installation. If a park district or recreation department
is considering illuminating a Softball field, it is possible to
light such other activities as Little League, Pony League,
baseball, or football. Sports covered will largely be deter-
mined by available area. Study the situation and allow for
safety zones outside of the play area, so facilities will not
create a hazard. Pole equipment on which the floodlights
are mounted is usually placed at the edge of the safety
zones and thus will not create a hazard to the players. In
ball diamonds of various sizes it has been found that a safe
margin, outside baselines, of one-third the width of the dia-
mond, is sufficient to enable the players to field foul balls.
(Some authorities recommend a greater distance. Ed)
If a softball diamond with a sixty-foot baseline is being
lighted, then the safety zone outside of the diamond should
be at least twenty feet (see Figure 1, Page 76). In base-
ball, where the baselines are ninety feet, a thirty-foot safety
zone is necessary.
The Illuminating Engineering Society has determined
the amount of light required for all sports areas. In deter-
mining these values they have considered the active usage
of the area. Where play is quite intensive and there is
large attendance, higher intensities will be required than
MR. WELD is chief application engineer for the Revere Elec-
tric Manufacturing Company, Chicago, and chairman. Il-
luminating Engineering Society Sports Lighting Commilii;-.
This article tvas specially prepared for RECREATION Magazine.
74
for an area used for neighborhood play. In softball, stand-
ards have been set up for four classes of play, ranging from
professional and championship, down through semiprofes-
sional, industrial, and recreation play. The latter, of course,
requiring the lowest values. The accompanying table
TTPI
PHOTOMETRIC
"hSICNATIiPl
JPEI OR
OiCLOSED
BEAN SPMAO
IN HfOUtS
1
Vorjr Narrow
8.M
Encloaod
10 to la than U
2
Narrow BMB
feeloMd
-fSTl* to ! than
~- - . w
J
-'-.- .
bwloMd
r ^29 to ! than
^^-^^ 46
a
NxJlOB kid*
B*M
Eneloaad
or Opi
-X- l>t> to ! than
\
5
Md BMB
tncloaod
or Opan
<fi to !* than
100*
6
V.ty Wttf*
BMB
Incloaod
or Opan
-e 100 and *
2-A
MINIMUM MJW UTICIWCY - PERCBfT
WCLOSU)
WAVY wrr
CUSS HD
BKL03CD
MOWD-ARW AND
-AKUvU. - POWOSl
CUSS OP
on*
-H V-^.-J
CUSS or 01
TTPE
" Than
17 - Inch
DlnMtcr
17 - Inch
DlHMtar
nd vr
Li Than
17 - Inch
Diantar
17 - inch
Dlacwtar
and Orr
UM
Innrt
lth
Inatit
Claaa 01
1
30
35
3k
35
-
.
2
34
to
36
36
_
m
'
10
II
39
45
-
-
d
u
VP
kl
50
-
35
5
5J
a
50
-
40
6
-
-
-
-
55
60
III . Hf I It'N
8 -FOLK LAYOUT
CLASS
IES CURRENT RECOMMENDED
PRACTICE - FOOTCANDLES
MAINTAINED IN SERVICE
OUTFIELD
SIZE
(feet)
FLOODLIGHTS (ALTERNATE INSTALLATIONS)
MINIMUM MOUNTING
HEIGHT TO BOTTOM
FLOODLIGHT CHOSSARM
(feet)
TYPES 3, 4 or 5
CLASS GP
TYPE 6, CLASS 01
TYPfc 6, CLASS
Ko. per Pole
No. per Pole
No. per Pole
Infield
Outfield
A
B
c
A
B
C
A
B
C
A & B Poles
C Poles
Professional
Championship
50
30
280
14
30
18
50
60
240
14
20
13
50
55
Semi-
Professional
30
20
280
8
18
14
10
28
18
40
55
240
8
14
10
10
22
12
40
50
Industrial
League
20
10
280
6
u
10
8
18
12
10
24
15
35
50
240
6
10
7
8
12
9
10
15
11
35
45
200
5
7
5
7
9
7
9
12
9
35
40
6-POLE LAYOUT
Recreational
10
5
200
3
4
5
4
5
6
5
7
8
35
40
LAMPS: 1500-watt clear general lighting service operated at 10*. over rated voltage.
POLLS: 6 for Recreational, 8 for other classes.
TABLE I
intensities required for various classes in regard to the
outfield dimensions, along with the types of floodlights,
quantities, lamp size, and minimum mounting heights.
The layout in Figure 1 shows an eight-pole setup. This
arrangement is used for the three lop classes of Softball,
whereas a six-pole layout may be used for the recreation
classification. The eight-pole layout provides the best pos-
sible locations for the floodlights specified.
The six-pole layout for recreation softball is a compro-
mise. It is understandable that illumination from four
points will be of a better quality than that from only for
two banks of floodlights. This is the only class of ball in
which the Illuminating Engineering Society recommends
the use of two outfield poles. For other types of play, such
as Little League, Pony League, and so on, four poles are
definitely specified.
The society has studied the situation carefully in recom-
mending footcandles for championship or professional play,
where there is unusually large attendance. Since spectators
may be at considerable distance from the playing area, it
is necessary to provide sufficient illumination so that they
may follow the play. In professional play the action is a
great deal faster than in other classes. For that reason
higher intensities are required than ordinarily. From these
factors it was determined that fifty footcandles would be
required on the infield and thirty footcandles on the out-
field. It was felt in regard to the recreation class, that the
game could be carried on with only ten footcandles on the
infield and seven and a half footcandles on the outfield.
These values are the lowest in which a neighborhood game
may be played in safety. Lower values would increase the
hazards by reducing visibility.
In Table 1 the quantity of floodlights required at each
location is given for the various classes along with the type
of floodlights. In Tables 2 and 2A the characteristics of
these floodlights are given, including the beam spread of
the various types and the minimum beam efficiency of the
three classes. For recreation softball a Type 5 or 6 flood-
light is most generally used, as the poles are located near
the playing area. These are wide-beam units. As only a
few floodlights will be required, a wide-beam type is neces-
sary to cover the field and to produce good overlapping pat-
terns. In some cases, floodlights may have to be mounted
at a greater distance from the field. Then a narrower beam
spread, Type 3 or 4, will produce the coverage required.
The class numbers of floodlights provide quick reference
as to the general construction of the floodlights. Class GP
refers to an enclosed floodlight with an aluminum reflector.
Class is an open porcelain-enameled reflector and Class
01 is, again, an open porcelain-enameled reflector with alu-
minum insert. It is usually good practice to use a glass cover
for the aluminum unit, as it protects the reflector surface
as well as keeping it clean.
An aluminum unit usually provides better light control.
Fewer floodlights will be required, reducing the kilowatts
necessary to illuminate the field. The 1500-watt PS-52 clear
lamp is the most economical lamp size as it provides the
best light output at the most economical cost.
For recreation softball areas ( Table 1 ) , there are specified
twenty-four Type-5, Class-GP floodlights: three at the two
"A" locations, four at the two "B" locations, and five at the
two "C" locations. If a Type-6, Class-0 floodlight is used,
then forty floodlights are necessary to provide the same in-
tensity. This means the monthly charge for electricity will
be almost double. The economics of the situation will have
to be studied to decide which floodlight to install, as the
open porcelain unit is usually less expensive than are en-
closed aluminum floodlights. However, the difference in
cost undoubtedly will be counterbalanced by the saving in
energy consumed.
In the next higher classification, known as industrial
league, there are three different outfield dimensions. The
240-foot outfield is the one most generally used. This out-
field will take care of Little League as well as softball and
is almost large enough for Pony League. In this manner,
three different classes of sports may be taken care of on the
FEBRUARY 1960
75
RECOMMENDED 8-POLE LAYOUT FOR SOFTBALL
C2
C3
FIG. I
'BASEBALL VIEWING DIRECTIONS
FIG Z
SPECTATORS
PLAYERS
CRITICAL VIEWING
DIRECTIONS
160 FT
TO MAINTAIN THE SAME BEAM PATTERN WITH TY PE
VARYING DISTANCES FROM THE AREA TO BE 30
LIGHTED THE SEAM SPREAD MUST BE REDUCED
MOUNTING HEIGHT-AS RECOMMENDED BY I E S FOR FOOTBALL
TYPE 2
20
140 FT
same area. Industrial league requires sixty Type-5, Group-
GP units: six at the two "A" locations, ten at the two "B"
locations and seven at each of the four "C" locations, to
produce twenty footcandles on the infield and fifteen foot-
candles on the outfield. In all cases the lamps specified are
1500-watt. To produce the intensities specified, the units
have to be used at a ten percent over voltage condition.
Used in this manner, the light output of the lamps is in-
creased thirty-five percent with only a sixteen percent in-
crease in wattage. However, the expected lamp life is only
three hundred hours, but this normally provides a full sea-
son's use.
In the two last columns of Table 1 the minimum mount-
ing heights are given for each pole location. These mount-
ing heights are based on producing the highest possible
illumination on the field and keeping glare to a minimum.
Where the poles have to be set back at a greater distance
from the field then the mounting height has to be increased.
Although we have covered only ball areas, the same informa-
tion may be secured for other areas from Recommended
Sports Lighting Practice, published by the Illuminating En-
gineering Society. Practically all sports areas are included.
After the areas and sports along with the floodlights have
been determined, it is advisable to get in touch with your
local utility company as it undoubtedly has men capable to
give further advice. It may call in a local contractor or
architect or may contact a floodlight manufacturer. Manu-
facturers can provide additional information and give exact
quantities required, along with mounting heights. They can
also provide a positioning chart so floodlights may be prop-
erly set and the field have the best possible illumination.
Such an installation will provide many happy hours for the
people who use your recreation area. #
NEW LEVELS
Growing leisure is accompanied both by more time for
new pursuits and the awakening of new yearnings and in-
terests in the minds of people. Their inherently social im-
pulses move them to desire to fill much of this new vacuum
with fruitful human associations. They search for con-
structive and satisfying relationships with others that pro-
vide warmth, security, and stimulation. They aspire to
associations which can illuminate new horizons, cultivate
new understandings, and pave the way for new avenues of
constructive activity.
Recreation programs have an incomparable opportunit\
in this situation. Naturally suited to people's leisure be-
cause they are informal and voluntary, they can meel peo-
ple's need for both association and substance. But to do so
those concerned with the recreation field must prepare the
ground better. The importance of qualified profession;]!
leadership must be re-emphasized and more and better rec-
reation workers secured. The vital place of the volunteer
leader must be reasserted. Program approaches must be
broadened and enriched creatively. Above all, a new Irvrl
of public understanding and support must be achieved.
PAUL OPPERMAN, executive director, Northeastern
Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, Chicago.
76
RECREATION
STATE
AND
LOCAL
DEVELOPMENTS
, Elvira Delany
ARIZONA. The U. S. Department of the Interior revoked
an order which would have opened up a portion of Tucson
Mountain Park to mining as of February 15, 1960. The
33,000-acre park, administered by Pima County, includes
approximately 26,500 acres of federal land and is presently
closed to mining. Assistant Secretary of the Interior Roger
Ernst announced the revocation after reviewing the tran-
script of a public hearing held in Tucson last October. Mr.
Ernst declares, "The hearing record shows . . . recreation
... to be the highest and most important use."
COLORADO. The North Jeffco Recreation District suc-
ceeded in passing a $300,000 bond issue for future parks
and recreation development. The Denver City Council
agreed to sell the Denver County Poor Farm to Adams
County for an eighteen-hole golf course and family park.
ILLINOIS. The board of trustees of the Pleasure Drive-
way and Park District of Springfield has approved plans and
specifications for a cast bell carillon to be installed in Wash-
ington Park's Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon. The caril-
lon, of concrete and masonry construction, will include from
seventy-six to eighty bells. Funds for the project are a be-
quest left the park board for this purpose by Thomas Rees,
a former editor of the Illinois State Register.
A functional exchange between the city of Chicago and
the Chicago Park District resulted in the latter's taking over
almost all city parks, beaches, and other recreation areas,
along with 283 employees, mostly recreation workers and
laborers. Land acquisition in this transaction totals 425
acres, and facilities affected include fourteen public bath-
houses and six swimming pools (three of which are under
construction). The city, for its part, took over the park
district police force of 1948, as well as 97 school-crossing
guards and 116 boulevard workers. The city also acquired
jurisdiction over more than two hundred miles of park dis-
trict boulevards.
The Memorial Park District (Cook County) passed a
$552,000 bond issue by a 3-to-l vote. Plans call for pur-
chase and development of a new fifteen-acre park site and
improvement to present parks and facilities, according to
Alan B. Domer, superintendent of parks and recreation.
The Joliet Park District (Will County) has received ap-
proval of a $700,000 bond issue for its Inwood Recreation
'Center (ice-skating rink, swimming pool, youth center) and
renovation of East Side Playgrounds (including walk-to
swimming pools.) Highland Park passed a referendum to
issue $195,000 in general obligation bonds for park im-
provements; of this, $125,000 will be spent on a swimming
pool and $70,000 for beach and park improvement and land
acquisition. The Highland Park Lions Club has pledged an
additional $30,000 for the pool. The Peoria Park District
is constructing a fifty-acre marina and playground on the
Illinois River with a $300,000 allocation.
MINNESOTA. A new village recreation building will go
up in Hoyt Lakes using lumber from the old Mesaba build-
ing now being torn down. In St. Louis Park the city coun-
cil and Westwood Hills Golf Course reached an agreement
whereby the city will pay $215,298 for part of the course for
use as a city park. The village of Aitkin has been given a
tract along the Mississippi River to be used as a park in the
memory of Gustav Berglund. In Deephaven, the village
council has purchased approximately ten acres on Corsen's
Bay for $15,500. This adjoins village-owned property and
will provide a twenty-five-acre park and recreation area.
Garden City (pop. 300) recently dedicated its $250,000
Wellcome Memorial, a combination recreation center, li-
brary, and civic center. The village received a $400,000 be-
quest from a local boy who went out into the world to become
an English lord and head of a vast British pharmaceutical
concern. Sir Henry Wellcome was born in a log cabin in Al-
mond, Wisconsin, but spent his boyhood in Garden City
where he met Dr. William W. Mayo, father of the famous
Mayo Brothers, who encouraged him to become a pharma-
cist. The remaining $150,000 was turned over for an en-
dowment fund.
OREGON. The Oregon Fish Commission and the Weyer-
haeuser Timber Company are cooperating to build an ex-
perimental natural fish farm on the east fork of the Milli-
coma River in Coos County to supplement and establish
fish runs in coastal streams. A ten-acre pond, holding five
hundred thousand salmon fingerlings, is intended to lower
costs of raising fish in hatcheries by placing the fingerlings in
impounded water with a natural food supply. Weyerhaeuser
installed culverts and other modifications at a cost of $5,000
and is giving up an acre of tree-growing land. In addition,
the company voluntarily spent approximately $8,000 to
modify the new channel bed as a fisheries protection mea-
sure. (For further information about Weyerhaeuser's rec-
reation policy see "Public Lands on Private Property,"
RECREATION, November 1956, Page 418.) Similar coopera-
tion between industry and government is increasing through-
out the country.
The Lane County Parks and Recreation Commission has
a new $100,000 budget. The past year saw the jamming of
all facilities beyond capacity, despite the expansion of three
picnic areas, the addition of a twenty-two-unit campground
on the coast, and improved boat launching and moorage fa-
cilities. The new budget will allow such improvements as
a watering system, twenty-four more campsites in three
parks, seventeen picnic sites, a beach access, a wayside park,
and a completely new facility on Fernridge Reservoir, the
second most popular boating area in the state.
FEBRUARY 1960
77
AIRHOUSES
A frank discussion of the advantages
and the disadvantages of new,
air-supported structures.
UNLESS IT BE a haunted house,
nothing looks as empty as a de-
serted playfield or a dry swim-
ming pool. And nothing is quite so
wasteful as the many millions of play
hours lost on recreation facilities every
year because of weather. Until recent-
ly, such lost recreation has had to be
accepted as inevitable in all but the
Don Shingler
erage about a dollar per square foot of
ground space covered. This is much less
than the cost of a permanent building.
Translucency. Fabric used admits so
much light that no other daytime il-
lumination is needed.
High ceiling height. Since structures
must be spherical in shape, the height
of a circular airhouse is normally equal
tion, is 371/6' by 90' with 20-foot "bub-
ble" at one end. The bubble covers an
offset section at the shallow end, used
for instruction of youngest children.
Fabric used here is twelve-ounce
vinyl-coated nylon. Colors are white
with blue-and-white end stripes. Air
pressure is supplied by a 2.000 CFM
blower. The house is secured to the
concrete decking by metal ring ballast.
At one side, the airhouse is secured to
the small permanent building that is
used for office, lobby, and locker room.
Access is provided from the inside of
this house to the airhouse. Total cost
of this installation was less than five
thousand dollars.
Despite all these obvious advantages,
it must be recognized that airhouses
are still in an early stage of develop-
ment. For instance, we do not yet know-
just how long certain materials may
last. The vinyl-coated nylon, which we
most southern parts of the country.
Now, however, air-supported structures,
known as airhouses, reclaim this lost
potential for many different types of
outdoor recreation activities.
These structures are made of heavy-
duty fabrics supported solely by gentle
air pressure blown into them by fan.
Major advantages of such an installa-
tion are:
Year-round use of costly installations
such as swimming pools. In many parts
of the country these can be used four
or at most five months of the year. The
airhouses are equally well suited to
weatherproof such activities as tennis,
badminton, volleyball, and others.
Extremely low cost of installation.
On larger installations, the cost will av-
MR. SHINGLER is industrial manager of
the Seattle Tent and Awning Company,
Seattle, Washington, manufacturers of
AIR:SEAL airhouses.
to half its diameter. A 65-foot diame-
ter house has a ceiling 32 1 /o-feet high.
This gives all the height needed for any
activity.
Quick and easy erection and removal.
When weather permits, it is best to use
these facilities with no covering what-
ever. When a permanent building is
erected, the facilities become indoor
recreation from that time on. Not so
with an airhouse your swimming pool
becomes an open-air pool again in
April, May, or June. Air-supported
structures can also cover an outdoor
ice-skating arena, thus greatly reducing
the cost of such an installation, while
giving it the advantages of an indoor
rink.
Use of airhouses over swimming
pools has increased greatly in the last
year or two in the Pacific Northwest.
Widest use so far is for home swimming
pools, but there have been several pub-
lic installations as well. A typical ex-
ample, used in a commercial installa-
This overall view of a commer-
cial pool covered ivith an
airhouse was taken from a bluff
overlooking the pool.
consider the best, should last a very
minimum of five years, and may even
last ten years or longer. Much depends
on usage and care taken by the owner.
Clearly, it cannot last as long as a well-
constructed permanent building.
In considering material used in your
airhouse, certain points should be kept
firmly in mind. Some minor advan-
tages may bring major disadvantages.
For instance, just how important is it
that the material be transparent? This
is hardly a major advantage, since par-
ticipants in any recreation activity will
be concentrating on that activity, not
on the wintry scene outside.
In a search for better materials. c
have thoroughly tested transparent ones
and find they are lacking in certain
strength requirements. Material used
in an airhouse should have great impact
strength and tear strength as well. It
may have great impact strength, a-
some transparent materials have. \H
tear easily once a gash has bivn made.
78
RECREATION
Interior of an airhouse of vinyl-
coated nylon. Air-supported
structures can cover a variety of
outdoor recreation areas.
A good grade of vinyl-coated nylon, on
the other hand, has both impact
strength and tear strength. A small hole
or cut will not enlarge itself and can be
easily repaired. A temporary patch can
be easily installed during use, to be re-
placed by a permanent repair when the
airhouse is put away for storage in the
summer.
It is important that the material be
translucent so it can be used in daytime
and provide shadowless daytime illumi-
nation. Light will not filter through in
adequate intensity, however, if the
house is not cleaned thoroughly at least
once a year. This job is the responsi-
bility of the user, since the airhouse can
only be cleaned properly when it is in-
flated. A good detergent, a long-han-
dled brush, and a hose are the indicated
tools for this. The must time to do it is
shortly before the house is to be deflated
and stored for the summer.
A problem you will be sure to en-
counter with an airhouse over a heated
pool is moisture condensation. If no
heat whatever is mixed with the cold air
being blown into the house, a dense fog
of condensation will form inside the
bubble. In the pool installation men-
tioned above, for instance, the fog was
so dense that it was impossible to see
from one end of the pool to the other.
Unless your swimmers like steam baths,
you will not want this condition.
It is easy to correct by installing a
space heater or convector to heat the
air blown into the airhouse. The air
is still humid, but that is inevitable in
any indoor pool installation. Water
temperature is kept at eighty-five de-
grees. With the heating unit, air tem-
perature is about seventy-five degrees.
This additional heat actually does not
cost much extra money. Having heated
air above the water greatly reduces heat
loss from the pool.
In planning dimensions of your air-
house, you should also make sure there
is adequate space around the sides. For
a swimming pool installation, a width
of seven to eight feet is the very mini-
mum and even more is desirable.
Properly constructed airhouses can
withstand heavy loads of snow. The
heat, of course, will also melt the snow
quite rapidly. Method of anchoring
the airhouse is important, especially if
there are winds of high velocity in your
area. Sand or water ballast used in the
first air structures was not satisfactory,
for once the ballast starts to shift, the
O oon the spreading metropolitan areas will engulf ninety per-
cent of our population. This is not in itself an evil. I believe that
open and accessible cities can offer a variety of goods, serv-
ices, and facilities that no suburban centers no matter how
numerous and well-stocked can match.
The growth of the cities will not be an evil if we make them
once again a pleasant place to stroll, eat, shop, sightsee, enjoy
cultural activities, and live. Only then will our leisure time be
worth living. Otherwise, we will spend our precious, hard-
earned leisure within our own four walls, cut off from society
by the foes we have created: murderous traffic, smog, disorder,
blight, and ugliness. We will be trapped in our suburban or
city homes, all dressed up with no place to go. Victor Gruen,
city planner and architect, in Life, December 28, 1959.
house is due for an early collapse. Lift-
ing power of an airhouse is so great
that it is almost impossible to anchor
properly by this method.
Greater security is afforded by a
method that anchors the base into the
ground or concrete apron on which the
house is erected. Airhouses anchored
properly in this manner have withstood
winds up to gale force without budging.
For anchoring to the ground, embed
spear points three to four feet deep.
Any kind of structure, of course, is
susceptible to vandalism. Airhouses are
no exception. In such event, the dam-
age can normally be repaired by stitch-
room procedures and the house be re-
erected in only a few hours. In one
case, a large (almost three-foot-long)
hole was torn accidentally in an air-
house at Larson Air Force Base. The
tear was repaired by hand sewing with-
out interrupting usage. An airhouse,
like any valuable piece of property,
could become damaged either accident-
ally or intentionally. Like other prop-
erty, airhouses are insurable by many
companies. And in any case, the temp-
tation to vandalism seems to be strong-
est in the case of old, vacant houses
rather than with new, well-used build-
ings.
For an average pool, the job takes a
full day's work for four to five men for
either operation. When the fan is cut
off, the house will deflate in about thirty
minutes. When the fan is turned on, it
will inflate to normal size in about half
that time.
The National Institute of Govern-
mental Purchasing reports that Minne-
apolis will store school supplies and
equipment in an 9,000-foot air struc-
ture. This will be the first "blow-Hp"
building in the city. #
r EBRUARY 1960
79
SCHOOL-CITY
COOPERATION IN
RECREATION
A STUDY OF school-city cooperation in the joint use of
recreation areas and facilities showed that, although
practically all of the twenty-two cities studied indi-
cated good relationships between school and recreation au-
thorities, only ten reported formal agreements covering all
or a major portion of those relationships. A surprising
number relied on informal machinery, including verbal
agreements, to bring about and continue the established
relationships.
This study of school-city cooperation in the acquisition,
planning, development, and maintenance of recreation areas
and facilities was undertaken by the National Recreation
Association's National Advisory Committee on Recreation
Administration. Committee members at the time of the study
included chairman Jay M. Ver Lee, superintendent of rec-
reation, Oakland, California; Milo Christiansen, superin-
tendent of recreation, Washington, D. C.; Charles Doell,
superintendent of parks, Minneapolis (now retired) ; Ben
Evans, director of recreation, Seattle, Washington ; William
Keeling, superintendent of recreation, Dallas; Vernon
Ridgewell, superintendent of recreation, Norfolk, Virginia;
Walter Scott, director of municipal and school recreation,
Long Beach, California; and Beverly Sheffield, director of
recreation, Austin, Texas, and new chairman of the National
Recreation Association's National Advisory Committee on
Recreation Administration.
The cities selected ranged from small communities to
some of the largest cities in the country. Twenty of the
twenty-two cities studied had developed above average pol-
icies for joint use of city and school facilities. In fifteen
of the selected cities, recreation is administered under agen-
cies that combine park and recreation functions; seven
have separate recreation departments. Ten cities have pol-
icy-making boards; ten, advisory boards; two have no
boards. In nine of the selected cities school-board members
or school-staff members serve on the recreation park board,
which, in six of the nine communities, is an advisory board.
One of the outstanding detailed agreements is found in
San Diego, California, between the unified school district
and the city park and recreation department. It describes
how sites are selected, details what facilities will be included
in each instance, delineates the use of recreation facilities
by the school agency, details responsibility for supervision
of facilities, and sets forth the relationship between the
school administrators and recreation staff at particular sites.
80
Maintenance responsibilities of both parties are spelled out,
with a detailed list of the equipment and basic improve-
ments for various types of areas.
Austin, Texas, has developed a set of policies to guide
the school and the city administrations in the joint use and
development of school and recreation facilities. This out-
lines the basic policy of the two agencies in acquiring ad-
jacent facilities and developing these on an integrated basis.
It states the responsibility of the two agencies with respect
to planning the facilities, and the principles to be followed
in developing school buildings, places the responsibility for
the development of all grounds around buildings, and spells
out responsibility for the planning and design functions.
The policy sets forth how the buildings will be used by the
two authorities, establishes responsibility for custodial serv-
ices and groundskeeping services on joint facilities, and
includes reference to certain specialized facilities that are
used jointly by both school and recreation.
An interesting cooperative agreement is in effect in Los
Angeles, where separate programs under supervised leader-
ship are conducted both by the school agency and by the
recreation and park agency. The agreement gives both pol-
icy and procedure whereby the construction and develop-
ment of facilities by the two separate agencies will not result
in duplication, but will complement each other in providing
a well-rounded program for all neighborhoods of the i-itv.
Oakland, California, relies on a number of separate
agreements to govern relationships between the recreation
agency and the school body. A joint statement, developed
by staffs of the two agencies, describes a detailed program
for the joint development of neighborhood recreation -ite
in conjunction with elementary schools. This agreement
provides for a one-third and two-thirds sharing of eo-N of
purchase and preliminary site development, such as grad-
ing, uti'ities, and street work with the schools assuming the
larger portion of the agreed-upon costs.
The agreement governing purchase and development of
sites is supplemented by leases for separate sites through
which school land is made available to the recreation de-
partment on a forty-year term basis without cost. Anotliet
agreement details the conditions under which the eit\ o\\ mil
municipal swimming pools will be used by the schools dur-
ing the school year, and provides for a method of sharing
costs and staffing. Another separate agreement po\einc the
way in which school properties will be used by the recrea-
RECREATION
tion department. Other agreements clarify the responsi-
bility of the school and the recreation department in the
maintenance of jointly used facilities and the operation of
evening gymnasiums for recreation purposes.
A LARGE number of the cities studied have developed joint
projects in which schools and municipal areas or parks
have been located adjacent to each other with arrangements
for joint use. Choosing sites is accomplished in different
ways. In practically all instances, the preliminary selection
is made cooperatively by the school and recreation staffs.
In many communities, the city-planning-agency staff is
brought in at this stage. Five of the cities studied complete
the selection process by staff agreement only; seven carry
the staff decisions on to the respective boards; four inject
a third step between the staff and the boards by having a
special coordinating committee pass on site selection before
final approval of the boards concerned. In one city the site
selection is accomplished by each agency working through
the planning commission.
In twelve of the cities studied, purchase is, in most cases,
accomplished by having each agency appraise and purchase
its own share. There are some instances, however, where
a slightly different procedure is followed for a specific site.
Six of the communities reported that one of the agencies,
either recreation or school, appraised the overall site and
purchased the land, separate deeds being taken by school
and city either in or after the closing of escrow.
Very few cities indicated any stated ratio of cost sharing
for joint-site purchase. Austin, Texas, establishes in its
agreement a fifty-fifty division of costs between the school
and city. In four other communities, indicating purchase
by a single agency, it appears that distribution of costs is
made on the basis of individual agreements for each site.
Alameda, California, shares the costs of a joint site on the
basis of a use formula in which the expected use for physical
education and for recreation is mutually agreed upon in ad-
vance. Some cities studied report a procedure whereby land
is traded between the two agencies after a joint site is pur-
chased.
Where one of the agencies already owns land needed by
the other agencies, some interesting and unusual legal ar-
rangements have been worked out. Fort Lauderdale, Flor-
ida, has worked out an arrangement whereby school land
is leased for a twenty-year period with an option to renew
for another twenty years, if conditions set forth in the lease
are met. This arrangement provides a recapture clause in
which the schools may have land returned to them when
needed for building purposes. The schools agree to a pen-
alty, however. In the event of taking over permanent im-
provements, methods have been devised to reimburse the
recreation agency. Glenview, Illinois, has a lease arrange-
ment by which the park district obtains the use of school
land, the consideration for the lease being the agreement
of the park agency to do certain maintenance work around
the school building involved in the joint site. This particu-
lar lease arrangement has a ninety-day recapture clause in
the event the school needs the land for buildings.
In Seattle the park agency has arranged ninety-nine-year
leases under which the lessee assumes any assessments
against the property during the period covered. Leases in
other communities have been obtained on a thirty-year and
on a forty-year basis.
/~VNE OF the problems faced in developing a joint site is
^-* designing the site so it serves both agencies equally
well and provides a coordinated plan. Nine cities studied
met this problem by hiring a single landscape architect or
architect to design the entire area as a unit. In four other
cities a unified design is achieved by joint staff planning,
but separate architects are hired to draw up detailed plans
and specifications before going to bid. Seven cities reported
that each agency designed its portion of the joint areas.
Most cities followed the policy of letting separate contracts
for their own portion. Only two agencies reported letting
a single contract with a division of agreed-upon costs.
In planning new facilities to be used by both recreation
and schools, the idea of joint approval of plans for the out-
door areas by both agencies than for indoor areas is more
readily accepted. Only five cities have a definite procedure
whereby the recreation agency reviews the indoor plans in
school buildings to be used for recreation purposes; in three
other cities, it is consulted. In two communities the recrea-
tion agency lists its needs, but the final decision is left up
to the school planning office. In two cities a coordinating
committee is utilized to see that the indoor facilities meet
certain standards for recreation use.
Advantages of Joint Use
Economy (saves tax dollars) 10 cities
More efficient use of public land 9 "
Avoids duplication 7 "
Develops mutually cooperative understanding 4 "
More adequate areas made possible 4 "
Meets with public approval 2 "
Enhances appearance of areas 2 "
Drawbacks of Joint Use
Possessive attitude of school staff hinders
complete cooperative use 5 cities
Changes in personnel bring about
different staff attitudes 5 "
School facilities not geared to a varied
recreation program 4 '
Process of planning together is a slow one 2 "
Joint use makes it difficult to provide time
for necessary maintenance and custodial care
School staffs resent extra work
School staff cancels out recreation use at
last minute for own use
Although using school building to advantage, fifteen
cities indicated the need for a separate building. Three
cities felt a separate building was not needed if the school
facilities were properly designed
An attempt was made to find out how various cities di-
FEBRUARY 1960
81
vided the responsibility and costs for jointly used facilities.
In connection with outdoor areas, eight cities reported that
responsibility and cost for maintenance were handled by
each agency on its own land; six recreation agencies pro-
vide all maintenance on outdoor areas; in four other cities,
maintenance is provided by either the schools or recreation
with a complete charge-back of the expenses incurred by
either agency on behalf of the other.
The assumption of responsibility and costs for the main-
tenance of indoor facilities follows a more consistent pat-
tern: in thirteen communities the school agency provides
all maintenance for indoor facilities used for recreation
purposes; in five others the schools make a charge for all
or a portion of the extra cost of opening up the indoor fa-
cilities as follows: (a) schools reimbursed for heat, light,
and janitorial supplies; (b) charge-back for some custodial
services and some utilities; (c) recreation charged for all
janitorial services (two cities) ; and (d) semiannual ex-
change of cost statements which involve both indoor and
outdoor facilities. #
WINTER COMFORT OUT-OF-DOORS-*-
THE BASIC element of dressing for winter camping is
keeping comfortably cool. Perspiration must be
avoided at all costs, for it sharply decreases the insulating
value of the clothing. One should dress in many layers
rather than in one thick layer.
It might be said that there are three basic principles in-
volved. First, dress in many layers of loosely knit clothing
to trap insulating air. Second, cover these layers with a
windproof outer cover to minimize body heat loss, and,
third, take off or add layers as needed to keep cool and avoid
perspiration.
A two-piece pair of wool long Johns, wool ski trousers
that do not bind at the knees and are of a smooth finish
that will not hold the snow, one light and one medium wool
shirt, a good grade windbreaker of tightly woven material
(cut generously to avoid pressure resulting in decreased in-
sulation), two pairs of wool socks (one heavy, one medi-
um), a warm ski cap with ear covers, and ski gloves with
an inner wool layer covered with waterproof leather or ny-
lon this is the basic minimum outfit. Boots must be se-
lected for the particular type of winter camping. If you
will be using skis, be sure you have an extra pair of boots to
keep your feet warm while in camp. Shoe-packs or other
similar shoes are wise as you will be moving about. These
are rubber-soled, leather-topped shoes they may be called
Maine Guide Boots, Thermal boots, or Korean boots and
are often more comfortable for walking than ski boots.
There are many opinions about what, if any, clothing should
be worn inside a sleeping bag. Whatever you wear, it must
be dry or the insulating value of the bag will be decreased.
Just before climbing in, clothing should be changed. Damp
clothing may be dried before the fire. All other clothing
can be taken into the bag and used under you for added in-
sulation, and it will be prewarmed for use next morning.
If you are camping in extremely cold areas, it will be nec-
essary to prevent your boots from freezing. Usually, this
necessitates your taking them into the bag with you, or
insulating them in some other way. This is one value of the
insulated thermal boot. They can be banged against a tree
82
in the morning, and any moisture that has frozen in them
will fall out.
Sleeping bags must be carefully selected for winter use.
Generally, the down-filled bags are the best, as they give
maximum warmth for minimum weight and volume. Down-
and-feather bags would be the second-best choice. Two bags
are better than one since added insulation is obtained from
the trapped air between the bags. Dacron bags are quite
heavy, and have a much greater volume than either the
down or the down-and-feather mixtures.
Cooking and eating in the out-of-doors is more difficult
than it is in the summer, but a little thought and ingenuity
can overcome the problems. Water supplies are not always
available, but if the snow is clean, it can be melted. Try
to start the melting with some water in the pot to speed llie
process. Stir frequently, for it is very easy to burn out the
pot. Allow plenty of time to melt the snow if many people
are involved; it is not a fast process. In the winter, it is
imperative for each person to drink at least one and a half
pints of water daily. Survival researchers have found that
without this minimum water intake, there is a sharp loss of
vitality and a relaxed "to heck with everything" attitude
develops, often proving fatal. This may be the reason ue
so often hear of people throwing away essential equipment
in winter emergency situations. This warning appear- in
all government survival publications, and should not be
overlooked.
Fire building on snow can present quite a problem. An
effective way is to tramp the snow down well and build a
good foundation of green hardwood logs. Ultimately, the
fire will melt the snow around as well as under it. If you
are going to be in camp for a while, you will have a di-:ir
melted area, which eventually will be big enough to an 0111-
modate your whole party.
These are only a few points, but if you read widely, pre- i
pare yourself well, take at least the minimum equipment,
use common sense, and, if at all possible, gn with an ex-
perienced person, your winter camping experience should
be enjoyable and enlighten inu. i >>< Page 68.) #
RECREATIO*
LEISURE-TIME
PURSUITS IN COLLEGE
We become increasingly aware, every day, of the
need for more research in the field of recreation.
This study was made recently in a university.
Agnes M. Hooley
CONSIDERABLE CONCERN is expressed through many me-
dia, and by many people, over "leisure time." A few
years ago the phrase was taken casually, and certainly
considered far too unimportant to warrant serious research.
It is a paradox that the leisure time for which men of note
have fought since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution
has now become a problem in itself.
Unfortunately, the so-called average man has not kept
pace. Recently the management of a California factory ex-
perimented with a schedule change enabling each worker
to have a three-day weekend every second week. The ex-
periment, generally, was a failure, and the plant is now re-
stored to its conventional workweek.
Interviewed workers gave many reasons for their dislike
of the plan, including inflexibility within themselves, lack
of skill in pursuits that would have made the extra day en-
joyable, and complaints by several wives that husbands at
home had nothing to do and caused disturbance in the week-
day routine. A few of those interviewed had enjoyed the
experience, and had profited from it by learning new skills,
by pursuing hobbies without the tension induced by lack of
time, and by increasing communication among the members
of the family.
Despite the general agreement on the importance of rec-
reation in modern society, surprisingly little is known
about the use to which men put their leisure time. And
even less is known, in a factual way, concerning the uses
to which men would put it if opportunities were unlimited.
To clarify this situation, at least in part, the author un-
dertook to discover the desired leisure-time pursuits of one
segment of our American population the students and
faculty of a representative Midwestern university. Here is
a group being provided with many opportunities; however,
these are limited by value judgments made by taxpayers,
concerning what is essential and desirable for the education
of future leaders.
Conduct of the Study
It was decided that a percent of the faculty and students
would be canvassed for their three favorite recreation ac-
tivities and their least preferred ones.
Miss HOOLEY is an associate professor at Bowling Green
State University, Bowling Green, Ohio. The above article
grew out of a research study by the author on this subject.
FEBRUARY 1960
Data were recorded for 804 subjects, and represent each
segment of the population as follows:
15 percent of the men students for a total of 395 subjects;
15 percent of the women students for a total of 328 subjects;
24 percent of the men faculty for a total of 53 subjects;
50 percent of the women faculty for a total of 28 subjects.
Interviewers were trained in survey techniques by the
author, and data was gathered between December, 1957,
and March, 1959. Here are some of the details:
Interviewers (upperclassmen or graduate students en-
rolled in the author's courses in recreation education) were
instructed to record answers to two questions:
1) What are your three favorite recreation activities?
2) What are your least preferred recreation activities?
Subjects were given no clues concerning activities and
no list to choose from.
Interviewers were instructed to interview people at ran-
dom and to include their fields and initials on the sheet on
which answers were recorded. Whenever a subject was
found to have participated in the survey with more than one
interviewer, only the first set of answers was included.
Most of the interviews were conducted in halls, offices,
residence units, and in the public meeting rooms of various
campus buildings. In general, subjects were cooperative,
interested, and pleased to have been included. In a few
cases, there was extreme surprise upon being questioned.
One person interviewed angrily told the interviewer that
such a survey was "an invasion of privacy." Only three re-
fused outright to answer.
Favorite Recreation Activities
Male Students. The following twenty-six items represent
the rank order listing of preferred leisure-time activities as
reported for ten or more men students (.03 of the sample) :
Basketball 30 of the sample
Swimming 26
Football 23
Baseball 22
Golf 19
Bowling 15
Tennis 12
Social dance,
cards, hunting .08
Handball, fishing 07
Reading, pool, movies 06
Softball 05
Sports spectator, socialize,
music in general 04
Track, see TV and hear
radio, music, water ski,
wrestle, participate in
sports, drive cars 03.
Fifty-three additional activities were named by less than
ten of the 395 males questioned.
Female Students. The following twenty-five items were
for ten or more women students (.03 of the sample) :
Swimming: .53 of the sample
Tennis: .28
Social dance: .27
Bowling: .16
Reading, basketball: .12
Golf: .11
Volleyball:. 08
Cards, horseback riding: .07
Music in general, badminton: .06
Socialize: .05
Bridge, hiking, baseball,
modern dancing, Softball,
singing: .04
Spectator sports, participate
in 'sports, field hockey, square dancing, sailing, ice skating: .03
Some fifty-two additional activities were named by less
than ten subjects of the 328 women questioned.
Male Faculty. The following seventeen items represent
the order listing of preferred leisure-time activities as re-
ported for two or more men faculty members :
Golf: .47 of the sample Cards, basketball: .09
Swimming, fishing: .20 Hunting: .07
Reading: .17 Bridge, football: .05
Gardening, baseball, bowling: .13 Writing, skiing, spectator sports,
Tennis: .11 travel: .03
Female Faculty. The following fourteen items are listed
in the same order as for men (.07 of the sample).
Reading: .42 of the sample Research, golf, travel: .10
Music in general: .21 Spectator sports, ice skating,
Swimming, drama, gardening: .17 bicycling, hiking, attend con
certs, painting (art) : .07
Observations
In studying the lists, one recognizes both active and pas-
sive pursuits. However, male students seem to favor active
ones and women faculty prefer semiactive or passive ac-
tivities. It is also interesting to notice the sharp decline in
interest expressed from first to second activity choices. For
example, women students favored swimming twice as often
as its nearest competitor, tennis.
Only four activities appear as preferred among all sub-
jects: golf, reading, watching sports, and swimming. Stu-
dents share fourteen preferred activities as follows: base-
ball, basketball, bowling, cards, golf, music in general,
participation in sports, reading, social dancing, socializing,
Softball, spectator sports, swimming, and tennis. Faculty
share six as follows: gardening, golf, reading, spectator
sports, swimming, and travel. Men, including both students
and faculty, share twelve preferred activities : baseball, bas-
ketball, bowling, cards, fishing, football, golf, hunting, read-
ing, spectator sports, swimming, and tennis. Women, in-
cluding both students and faculty, share seven preferred
pursuits : golf, hiking, ice skating, music in general, reading,
spectator sports, and swimming.
Activities that may be individually enjoyed hold an im-
portant place among those favored by adult subjects, while
both individual and group activities are found among stu-
dent subjects. No doubt this reflects the needs of each age
group, and their corresponding social aspirations.
Least Preferred Activities
Although subjects were not limited in the number of least
preferred activities they might name, they listed few in com-
parison to the preferred activities.
Male Students. The following four represent the rank
order listing of least preferred leisure-time activities as re-
ported for ten or more men students (.03 of the sample) :
cards, .06 of the sample; track, .04 of the sample; tumbling,
baseball, .03.
Some fifty-one additional activities were named by less
than ten subjects of the 395 men questioned.
Female Students. The following six items represent the
order listing of least preferred leisure time activities for
ten or more women students (.03 of the sample) : baseball,
.06 of the sample; swimming and cards, .04; basketball,
field hockey, and golf, .03.
Forty-three additional activities were named by less than
ten subjects of the 328 women questioned. They included
all active sports.
Male Faculty. The following four items represent the
order listing of least preferred leisure time activities as re-
ported for two or more men faculty (.03 of the sample) :
cards, .11 of the sample; sitting and listening, fishing, all
active sports, .03.
Female Faculty. The following four items represent the
order listing of least preferred leisure time activities as re-
ported for two or more women faculty (.07 of the sample) :
cards, all active sports, watching TV, .10 of the sample;
baseball, .07.
Conclusions
From the facts presented, the following conclusions can
be drawn for the population studied:
1. Preferred activities among subject categories ap-
proximate one another in quantity when one allows for the
variation in sample size from category to category.
2. Generally there is a sharp difference between the
percentages of subjects expressing a liking for the first and
second activities listed.
3. People enjoy both active and passive activities.
4. There are few activities appearing as preferred lei-
sure-time pursuits among all groups.
5. Preferred student pursuits tend to be more active and
more numerous than those preferred by adults.
6. Adults tend to choose activities that can be enjoyed
either alone, or in groups. Students favor group activities.
7. Leisure-time pursuits chosen by men tend to be of a
more active nature than those chosen by women.
8. Disliked activities among the four subject categories
approximate one another, quantitatively, when you allow
for the variation in the size of the sample within each cate-
gory.
9. Generally there is a sharp difference between the per-
cent of subjects expressing a dislike for the first and second
nonpreferred activities listed.
10. There is little unanimity of opinion concerning dis-
likes. Only one cards appeared in all categories.
11. Preferred leisure-time pursuits far outnumber dis-
liked ones, especially among adults.
A good recreation program is a vital, constructive, and
motivating force on a campus. Institutions everywhere
should answer one question honestly : Do we have the kind
of program which can be described in those terms? If not,
there is a second question : When do we start to build such
a program? #
84
RECREATION
RESEARCH
REVIEWS AND ABSTRACTS
Need for Year-Round Swimming Programs
After a careful study of the advantages and disadvantages
of different types of swimming pools the Utah State Ex-
tension Service and Utah Recreation and Parks Associa-
tion came to the following conclusions:
Weighing cost against usability, the outdoor-indoor com-
bination pool seems to be the most practical type for the
intermountain area. This pool allows year-round use with-
out losing the appeal of outdoor swimming during warm
weather.
Whenever feasible, the school and the community ought
to share construction and operating costs in order to insure
a cooperative school-community swimming program, mak-
ing maximum use of the facility.
The pool should be located as conveniently as possible
for both school and community use.
The swimming program should include required swim-
ming instruction for junior-high- and/or senior-high-school
students, instruction classes for adults and young children,
competitive swimming, and a reasonable amount of time
each day for recreation swimming. Specialized phases such
as synchronized swimming and fancy diving should be
added when feasible. From "Utah Needs Year Around
School-Community Swimming Programs" byClayne Jensen.
Constant Vigilance Needed
The preservation of open space is one of the two activi-
ties requiring the closest attention of authorities concerned
with the development of metropolitan areas, in the opinion
of William H. Wilcox, executive director of the Greater
Philadelphia Movement. In commenting on highway de-
velopment he stated:
When highways preempt parkland the state high-
way department and the Federal Bureau of Public
Roads should reimburse the governmental body
for the parkland surrendered for highways in the
same way a private owner is reimbursed. I am
reliably informed that the Fairmount Park Com-
mission of Philadelphia received not one red cent
for the land taken by the Pennsylvania Depart-
ment of Highways for the Schuykill Expressway.
I am also reliably informed that this is the general
practice.
This practice should be altered. Governmental
bodies which lose parklands to highways shou'.d
be reimbursed with federal and state highway
funds so that new park areas can be acquired to
help offset the land used by the highway system.
Ingredients of Effectiveness
The reaction of the people of a community when a rec-
reation executive departs to take a job elsewhere affords
a clear indication as to the effectiveness of his service and
the value of specfic qualifications, professional attitudes,
and abilities. The following comments by the chairman
of a local recreation commission, a successful business
executive, at a reception for a superintendent of recreation
leaving for work in another community, clearly indicates
the high regard in which he was held:
To paraphrase one of Shakespeare's famous
lines, but in reverse we have come not to bury
Frank, but to praise him our Little Caesar of rec-
reation. In 1946, when we accepted our respective
duties, I saw him pick up a small acorn and de-
velop it into a tree of substantial proportions with
branches representing various facets of recreation
facilities and activities. While he was bringing
the tree to maturity he was slowly but surely en-
dearing himself to the . . . heart of our community.
Why do we honor him so? The basic reasons, in
my opinion, are these:
1. Because of his sterling character one any
youth would like to have and any youngster emu-
late an attribute befitting a person dealing with
people, especially children and youth.
2. Because of his quiet, rugged personality, which
enabled him to acquire in his soft-spoken, diplo-
matic way the things he felt necessary to accom-
plish his ends.
3. His fabulous capacity for work. Ten, twelve
or even sixteen hours have been his normal work-
day. Why did he do this? For sheer love of his
chosen profession a truly happy man. To you
who don't already know this, I say you are honor-
ing today a most unusual public servant.
4. His ability to conceive and carry out recreation
programs that tend to contribute to human better-
ment. This phase of his character is chiefly re-
sponsible for the broad range and quality of the
program we offer people of all ages in this bor-
ough.
5. Ability to carry out these programs economic-
ally, by utilizing available facilities and enlisting
volunteer help. We have been able to get for free
what many communities pay for. I can say with-
out fear of contradiction that for every dollar
spent for recreation in this borough it has received
a dollar's worth plus a substantial dividend.
85
Mexican Hat Dance enlivens Fiesta de Bellas Artes
given by recreation Spanish classes.
In background are paintings by class members.
HAVING FUN
WITH SPANISH
Marion C. Sparrow
HAVING "Fun with Spanish" is the
theme of five recreation Spanish
classes in the Los Angeles Rec-
reation and Park Department's East
Valley District. To make these classes
self-sustaining, a small fee is charged,
which covers the cost of instructor,
maintenance, and incidentals.
In order to obtain real value from
these classes, it is very necessary to have
someone not only qualified to teach
Spanish but with an appreciation of
recreation and leisure-time activities.
Los Angeles was fortunate in obtaining
the services of Grace E. Reeves. Miss
Reeves has her BA from Pomona Col-
lege and her MA from Claremont Col-
lege; and is also a graduate student of
the University of California, the Uni-
versity of Mexico, and the National
Conservatory of Music, Mexico City.
Her wide experience in lecturing,
song recitals, radio and television pres-
entations in Spanish, about places and
things in Mexico and the Americas,
makes her an authority in her field.
Miss Reeves teaches her classes to speak
Spanish, using recreation methods,
thereby creating an atmosphere of fun
and relaxation from the outset.
The first lesson is important, espe-
cially since this is "recreation" Spanish.
Social activities play a big part as les-
sons progress. Learning how to greet
each other is socially important. So,
immediately, the phrases "How do you
do?" and "How are you?" are taught
to the class. This is followed by how
to tell time, learning numbers, and so
MR. SPARROW is district director, De-
partment of Recreation and Parks, City
of Los Angeles, East Valley District,
North Hollywood, California.
on. The classes are divided into pairs,
and the class subject for the day is dis-
cussed within this framework. Each
student also makes a notebook and cop-
ies sentences and words for further
practice and use.
If you were to travel in Mexico or
the Americas, it would be important for
you to know how to ask directions, how
to order a meal, how to buy souvenirs,
names of places, dates of special events,
and what could be more important than
how to give proper instructions? How
to inquire about lodging is vital too.
As the classes progress, Miss Reeves
leaches her pupils how to make grocery
lists, the names of colors, seasons of the
year, and how to converse about the
weather. Current events, business and
political situations are also a part of
recreation Spanish learning. Miss
Reeves says singing tunes up the ear,
which is so essential in language train-
ing, so singing of Spanish songs has its
place also.
All recreation leaders know that the
periodic special event gives spice and
zest to any recreation program, so many
fiestas, teas, and luncheons are planned
where costuming is the order of the
day. At these special events, on holi-
Brotherhood is one of the most
demanding and most rewarding
principles in our lives. Its applica-
tion is not limited to our home or to
our homeland. The responsibilitcs
of brotherhood stretch around the
world; and wherever men dwell,
their needs and their successes are
for all to share.
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER.
days, birthdays, and so on, visual aid*
are used, with color slides of Spain.
Mexico, and the Americas being shown.
The food, of course, is typical of the
occasion. At these parties and special
holiday celebrations words and sen-
tences are related to the event. As the
party or event goes on, Miss Rec\ <-
enunciates the words and sentences,
followed by the class.
These are several examples of special
events:
Manana, 12 (doce) Febrero, sera
el cumpleanos de un gran presidente
de los Estados Unidos de America,
Abraham Lincoln. (Tomorrow, the
12th of Febraury, will be the birth-
day of a great president of the Vniti'd
States, Abraham Lincoln.)
El viernes 14 (catorce) sera el Dia
de San Valentin. (Friday, Feb. 1-llh.
will be Valentine's Day.)
Here are a few rules Miss Reeves has
utilized in teaching recreation Spanish:
Speak only in Spanish during class.
Speak only to your partner in class
during the practice speaking session.
If you cannot understand your part-
ner say: "Otra vez, por favor." (Again,
please.)
If you still cannot understand: "Mas
despacio, por favor." (More slowly,
jilcuse.)
If you wish to say something in
Spanish and do not know how, do not
say it. Change your mind instantly and
s;:\ something you do know.
Give your partner an opportunity to
ask questions by saying, "Preguntas,
por favor." (Question. pJMM.)
The number of classes has increased
each year, proving "Fun with Spanish"
is popular in tin- in real ion field.
86
RKCREATION
Careful planning and a thorough
knowledge of photography
went into "catching" this angelfish.
HOSPITAL
FISH
Jean Jackson
j
Pets and their care enrich many
leisure hours. The National Rec-
reation Association's Consulting
Service en Recreation for the 111
and Handicapped has long recom-
mended that institutions try to in-
clude pets in their recreation pro-
grams. Fish are simple and easy
to care for and create interest and
excitement for children and adults
alike. Tanks can be set up so that
nonambulant patients can feed
and watch the fish. Long-term
patients who remain in an insti-
tution receive much satisfaction
in assuming responsibility for an
aquarium. Within its four glass
walls there is birth and death, an
endless world of adventure in
flashing colors that draws the at-
tention and creates new vistas.
FOUR FASCINATED CHILDREN bent
over the fish tank watching the
mating process of the betta fish.
Six months ago most of these children
did not know that such a thing as a
tropical fish existed, nor would most of
them have cared. I would like now to
enter their names as ardent fish fans.
This is a very unusual group; its mem-
bers are all patients at the Children's
Psychiatric Hospital in Ann Arbor,
Michigan. These children are emotion-
Miss JACKSON is on the staff of Chil-
dren's Psychiatric Hospital, Ann Ar-
bor, Michigan. Condensed and reprint-
ed with permission, from The Aquar-
ium, July 1959.
ally disturbed and under the care of a
psychiatrist. That they should be able
to rise above their many problems and
give the tropicals the fussy care needed
was startling.
Our project began in the school at
the Children's Hospital. Classrooms are
small and compact, accommodating
anywhere from four to seven children
at a time. Because of our children's
emotional problems, it is often difficult
to interest them in activities dealing
with school. For this reason, a project
such as tropicals must be planned care-
fully.
One of the first operations was to
interest the children in the activity
which I had planned. To do this I
brought in one of my already stocked
personal aquariums. Color was impor-
tant in catching the children's eyes. For
this I used a pair of red velvet sword-
tails, two pair of platys, one pair black
and one blue, and several pairs of gup-
pies. I set the aquarium on a table in
plain sight and waited for their reac-
tions.
After the aquarium had been in the
room for a week, the children began
asking questions about the fish and
their habits. Then someone asked if it
would be possible to get a tank some-
where and set up his own aquarium. I
answered that there were tanks enough
for all if the children would be willing
to fix them up themselves. (We were
very fortunate that the University of
Michigan fisheries supplied us with dis-
carded tanks the children could repair.)
The aquariums came to us in a bat-
tered condition. Most were rusted,
without glass, and all leaked. We pur-
chased some aquarium cement, mea-
sured and ordered double-strength
glass, purchased paint, turpentine, a
stiff wire brush, some sandpaper, and
went to work.
The first job was removing broken
glass and old aquarium cement. In
some cases this involved chiseling out
the old glass. The rims were brushed
with the wire brush and then sanded
carefully to remove as much rust as pos-
sib'e. Rims were then given two coats
of paint to prevent further rusting.
When this was done, the children fitted
the glass to their tanks, cementing it in
place with the aquarium cement. To
make a background for their fish, they
then painted the back of one piece of
glass.
During this time some interesting
things were occurring in the group.
Most of our children have a difficult
t'me getting along with each other and
other people. As we worked together,
the children began to help each other.
The I-can-do-it-myself-with-no-help-
from-you-or-anybody-else attitude was
gradually melting away and a more
friendly, reasonable attitude was re-
placing it. Their relationship with me
began to improve as well. This seemed
to be the first stirrings of a real group
spirit.
When the work on the tanks was fin-
ished, we were ready for gravel, plants,
and fish. Because of the importance of
color to the children, some colored
gravel was purchased in addition to the
regular gravel. Our budget necessitated
using regular gravel primarily, with the
colored gravel as lagniappe. The child-
ren became quite ingenious at hiding
the regular gravel under a layer of col-
ored gravel. They planted the plants
and gathered rocks which were care-
fully boiled before being placed in the
tanks.
We used the book Exotic Aquarium
Fishes as a guide for selecting the fish.
After having selected the fish, the child-
ren and I made a buying trip. The ma-
jority of our purchases were live-bear-
ers, because I thought our children
might not have the patience to work
with the egg-layers. We did, however,
purchase some angel fish and a pair of
bettas, the latter for their unique breed-
FEBRUARY 1960
87
ing habits and coloring. It would now
seem that our tanks were complete, but
I had reckoned without the determina-
tion of my children.
They now demanded a pump and
filters. Busy minds set to work to con-
struct a breeding tank, tables for dis-
play purposes, and an elaborate light-
ing system to display the tanks to their
best advantage. Another schoolroom
has begun to breed the fish for commer-
cial purposes, using the hospital staff as
clientele. The money they take in is used
to improve the equipment or buy more
fish. They are trying to refine several
strains of platys and guppies.
About the time things seemed to be
going well, we observed a peculiar dot-
ting on the fins of several of the fish.
Our fish had developed Ichthyophthi-
rius, or the "Ich." We were unaware,
in the beginning, that this disease was
serious. This error in judgment cost
us ten fish and came close to eradicat-
ing our entire stock. We set up one tank
as a hospital tank and treated it with
salt, a five-percent solution of methy-
lene blue and raised the temperature of
the water to eighty-five degrees. After
an anxious three weeks the majority of
the fish recovered.
All this, of course, took many months
of hard work, but the result was ex-
tremely satisfactory. Because of the
personality problems of our children,
we would not have expected that this
project would have been received so
warmly. The hobby offers endless pos-
sibilities for the future and should con-
tinue to be a useful tool in helping
children back on the road to mental
health. If anyone would like to know
more about our project or would like
to share ideas with us, please write and
I will be very happy to answer. #
Reprinted with special permission
from The Saturday Evening Post.
"How can we start a club with only four
members?"
A REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK
International Recreation Notes
The planning fame of Westchester
County, New York, has reached as far as
Salisbury, Rhodesia, South Africa. The
County Recreation Commission received
a formal request from the Amenities
Department of that community for a
copy of Dr. Sal Prezioso's talk, given in
Philadelphia last fall, at the annual con-
ference of the American Institute of
Park Executives. (Dr. Prezioso is coun-
ty recreation superintendent.) Salis-
bury, with a population of 61,760, has
been having difficulty planning parks
for recreation use. Though most of the
inhabitants are natives, they know of
Western ways since the British estab-
lished a settlement there in 1890.
Unions representing five million out
of the more than eight million unionized
British workers are starting an inten-
sive drive for a shorter workweek. The
General Council of the Trades Union
Congress, with which nearly all the un-
ions are affiliated, put its full weight be-
hind this proposal. Britain has a longer
workweek than the United States, with
the average for men around forty-eight
hours, for women and apprentices,
about 46.3. But these figures do include
overtime. The TUC goal is a forty-hour
week, such as France's, Canada's, and
Australia's.
The General Council said, "Work is
not an end in itself. It is the means to
the enjoyment of a higher standard of
living and more leisure for rest, recrea-
tion, and personal development leading
to a fuller and more exciting life."
An Italian resort has built a ski jump
of a spaghettilike plastic for use in year-
round competition. In the town of Ponte
di Legno, the plastic brushes are laid on
the slope in very much the same way a
thatched roof is put on. To ensure its
slipperiness, the jump is soaked with
water. According to The New York
Times, skiers have found the slope ex-
cellent.
This idea sounds like a dandy for
those areas of the United States that
never see a snowdrop, but yet would
like to have skiing.
Russian children are children, just
like any other: they play dodge ball,
hopscotch, and jump rope in the streets
and parks. In their athletic fields, how-
ever, they do calisthenics, seeming to
prefer this form of exercise much more
than American children. The foregoing
notes are from "Russian Children and
Their World," in Child Study, Winter.
1958-59, by Milton J. E. Senn, MD. as
told to Anna W. M. Wolf.
Dr. Senn reported further that he
never saw a toy gun and learned that no
war toys were sold in the stores. The
avid pursuit of culture, he says, is ob-
vious at all age and economic le\rl~
Russians read widely, have many thea-
ters (including four just for children
in Moscow), for ballet, opera, and dra
ma, as well as movie theaters. And.
naturally, folk music and dancing are
very popnlar.
One of Canada's most popular small
boy sports last winter was minor hockr\
in Hamilton, Ontario. The four arti-
ficial outdoor ice rinks swarm with
youngsters whamming a puck around
weekday nights and mornings, coached
by their fathers. Program supervisor
Earle Johnson, of the Hamilton Recrea- *
tion Department, is in charge of ii--
time allotments and works with varioii-
service clubs, which play a large part
in Canada's recreation programs, ar
ranging time schedules.
All boys get a chance to play, regard- (
less of ability, and each boy is charged
a dime a game, but none has ever been
turned away if he didn't have it. Last
year, all told, there were about 1,600
boys competing on some sixty teams in
88
RECREATION
the Hamilton Recreation Department's
setup. The teams comprise four divi-
sions peewee, bantam, midget, and
atom or squirt.
The motto of this program is "Keep
a boy on ice and you'll keep him out
of hot water."
Human Encroachment
Things are getting so crowded, a wad-
ing bird can't find a nice, squishy marsh-
land to wade or eat in. National Audu-
bon Society research director Robert P.
Allen reported at the society's recent an-
nual convention that such birds as the
egret, heron, spoonbill, and flamingo
are threatened with depletion and possi-
ble extinction by human encroachment
on their feeding grounds. They are
particularly endangered by the recent
growth of housing, industrial, and, yes,
recreation, development in former feed-
ing grounds in Florida. Texas, and Cal-
ifornia. Outboard motorboats also scare
them away.
Mr. Allen said the birds might be
saved, not by sweeping national meas-
ures, but protective procedures worked
out according to local conditions and
with the cooperation of local authorities.
There is food here for thought, if not
for the birds.
Meet the People
The seismographs may not have
caught the tremors, but there has been
a minor retirement earthquake in Chi-
cago Park District recreation personnel
since Terry Rose recently retired. As
of January 1, George
T. Donoghue also re-
tired as general su-
perintendent, as he
said, "due to the
rigors of adminis-
tration and the ten-
der age of seventy-five years." He hopes,
however, to continue in a consulting
capacity.
The highlight of his career was the
creation of the Chicago Park District
during the dreary depression years. The
district at that time was known for its
advanced administration methods, high-
ly competent engineering, and an ex-
tremely extensive and progressive pub-
lic recreation program.
Replacing Mr. Donoghue will be Dan-
iel L. Flaherty, who had been his assist-
FEBRUARY I960
ant since 1946. Mr.
Flaherty has labored
in many different
sections of the dis-
trict, having started
as a junior clerk of
the old South Park
system. During the war Mr. Flaherty
was "loaned" to the Chicago Service
Men's Centers, the hospitality project
that attracted worldwide acclaim. After
the war, he was promoted to assistant
general superintendent.
Meet the new president of the Ama-
teur Athletic Union of the United States,
Nick Barack. Born
in Yugoslavia, he
emigrated to the
States in his early
teens, where he set-
tled in Columbus,
Ohio. He attended
local high schools, followed by law study
at Ohio State University. For the past
sixteen years he has been recreation di-
rector in Columbus.
Mr. Barack has been active in the
AAU for a number of years in various
capacities. Among his interests is box-
ing, which is reflected as his election as
chairman of the national AAU boxing
committee from 1954 to 1959 and mem-
bership on the United States Olympic
Boxing Committee, among others. He
is also a past president of the Amateur
Softball Association.
Celebration
Up and down the length and breadth
of New York State this last year, vari-
ous kinds of celebrations have been tak-
ing place, commemorating the 350th
anniversary of the Hudson-Champlain
discovery. One such climactic celebra-
tion took place at year's end Decem-
ber 2, to be exact in Westchester Coun-
ty, New York, with an art exhibition, an
exhibit of selected Americana from the
collections of Westchester's historians
and restorations, and, the icing on the
cake, "Inheritors of the Dream," a pag-
eant depicting the history of the county.
These events were presented by the
county recreation commission, in coop-
ration with the Westchester Year of
History, other public and private or-
ganizations, and many, many West-
chester citizens. A souvenir journal was
prepared, with the usual acknowledg-
ments, lists of committee members, and,
containing as well, a capsule report on
what various Westchester towns had
done as their particular part of the cele-
AN OLD ILLUSTRATION OF THE HALF MOON
bration during the year, bits of West-
chester and Hudson River history, pro-
grams of events, the pageant cast. The
cover is reproduced here.
Jin fBpmnrtam
Mrs. Isabella Osgood, eighty-six,
died December 27 of a heart attack at
her home in Princeton, New Jersey.
She was a past president of the Prince-
ton Garden Club, the Present Day Club,
a former National Recreation Associa-
tion sponsor and contributor for thirty
years.
Dr. Eleanor Anderson Campbell,
eighty-two, founder and director for
many years of the Judson Health Cen-
ter on Spring Street, just a few blocks
south of NRA headquarters, died De-
cember 30, after a long illness. In ad-
dition to her medical service at Judson.
she founded, at Deering, New Hamp-
shire, where she spent her vacations,
the Deering Community Center, for
nonsectarian Protestant conferences for
young people.
W. Vernon Gilmore, director of
physical education, health, and recre-
ation for the Salem (Oregon) School
District and the City of Salem, died
suddenly of a heart attack on December
22. He was fifty-two. Mr. Gilmore
served the Salem schools for twenty-
nine years, and was city recreation di-
rector from 1935 on except during the
war years. In 1958, he was named act-
ing park director for the city, filling that
position until last fall. He belonged to
many professional education and recre-
ation associations. $:
89
N N
Voluntary Recreation Registration
How the profession is achieving status in New York State.
Over a long period it had become increasingly evident
that, if recreation were to achieve status as a profession in
the Empire State, it would be necessary for the profession
itself to adopt personnel standards and to institute a system
to appraise and classify the experience and qualifications of
those who were participating in it. In 1957, the New York
State Recreation Society took a positive step in this direc-
tion when it adopted a voluntary registration plan and ap-
pointed a five-man board of examiners to organize and ad-
minister this plan.
Board members are chairman Dr. Sal J. Prezioso, super-
intendent of recreation, Westchester County Recreation
Commission; James R. Crugnale, chief of Special Services,
Veterans Administration, Albany; Sidney G. Lutzin, re-
gional director, New York State Youth Commission; Peter
Mayers, superintendent of recreation, New Rochelle; and
Dr. Harlan G. Metcalf, chairman, Department of Recreation
Education, Cortland State University. Dr. Edith Ball, as-
sociate professor of recreation at New York University, has
recently been appointed to a five-year term, replacing Dr.
Metcalf. Board members are appointed on overlapping five-
year terms with the intention of always having appropriate
representation of the Youth Commission, the National Rec-
reation Association, State Education Department, State De-
partment of Civil Service, state college or university with
a professional program in recreation, and the American
Recreation Society.
The administrative plan of procedure outlined and
adopted by the board of examiners has met with favor
among members of the state recreation society. It was pub-
lished as part of the recreation personnel standards booklet
mailed to all members of the state society. The plan called
for three classifications: recreation administrator, recrea-
tion supervisor, and recreation leader. It was decided to
issue certificates of registration to each applicant who met
the qualifications in any of these classifications. Hereafter,
he would be a registered member of the recreation profes-
sion in New York State.
The Board of Examiners interpreted their classifications
as follows: A recreation administrator is one who is quali-
fied and certified to direct, control, and manage all recrea-
tion affairs of an agency. A recreation supervisor is one who
is qualified and certified to assume appropriate supervisory
functions under the general direction of the recreation ad-
ministrator. A recreation leader is one who is qualified and
certified to assume appropriate leadership functions under
the immediate direction of either the supervisor or the ad-
ministrator, or both.
Standards of knowledge, abilities, education, and experi-
ence were set forth for each classification. Reasons for de-
nying or revoking certificates were also enumerated. Reg-
istration fees of five dollars for administrators and three
dollars for supervisors or leaders were established to finance
the plan. Provision was made for applicants to have the
privilege of appealing the decision of the board of examiners
to the executive committee of the state society. Certificates
would remain in effect continuously, except where the holder
failed to be actively employed in recreation for a period of
five years.
A "blanketing-in" period was established to allow all
personnel employed full time, year round, in recreation, to
register, without examination, by submitting an application
and a registration fee. The application form requested for-
mal education background, paid experience in the nvi ca-
tion field, membership in professional and service organ i/a-
tions, and references. A photograph is also required for
identification purposes. Board members itm -liualcd the
applicants and made recommendations to the entire board
which took official action on each application.
The plan has been enthusiastically received by the n
ation profession, and. to date. 482 applications have been
received and processed as follows:
Classification
\ppn.\ed
|)i-appro\ed
Total Applicants
Administrator
152
III.,
!':>:;
Supervisor
91
11
102
Leader
117
5
122
Totals
360
122
182
Fees received have proved ample to cover printing and in-
cidental expenses involved in the plan.
The board of examiners is aware that some dissatisfaction
exists, either because of disapproval of applications or lie-
cause a number of persons "blanketed- in" do not meet the
minimum personnel standards of the New York State lie. -
reation Society. This was inevitable, in order not to exclude
those valuable members of the recreation j)rofe--ion who
were educated in the "school of experience." but who-e for-
mal education would not qualify them by toda\'- staiidaul-
for positions they now hold. However, the result- adnc\cd
have exceeded all expectations.
The "blanketing-in" period (one year's grace! In- now
been closed and the state board is in the process of arrang-
ing unassembled examinations for others who might be in-
terested. Some applicants who did not qualify for registra-
tion because tbc\ were not emploxed full time. \eat loum
90
RECRKATIC
in the field of recreation, will now become eligible for reg-
istration through examination, and many others are also
applying. Applicants previously disapproved will not be
required to pay an additional fee for reapplication. The
proposal to make the registration certificate a prerequisite
for civil service examination in the recreation field is now
being investigated with the New York State Civil Service
Commission. Future plans include publication of a direc-
tory listing all registered recreation personnel in the state
and a plan for certification.
The New York State Recreation Society is now ready to
establish reciprocal agreements with other states having
state voluntary registration plans. Four states have already
indicated their interest in such reciprocity and the board
of examiners of the state society invites others who might
be interested. Perhaps the day will come when all fifty states
will have established registration plans so a national bureau
for registration of recreation personnel will become practi-
cal that could absorb all the state registration plans with a
"blanketing-in" period. When this dream becomes a real-
ity, the recreation field will truly have achieved the status
of a profession. DR. SAL J. PREZIOSO, chairman of Na-
tional Advisory Committee on Recruitment, Training, and
Placement of the National Recreation Association.
Have You Tried .
A FAIRY TALE FESTIVAL?
An idea, usable any time of year
To many Americans Hans Christian
Andersen fairy tales are an integral part
of Christmas. "The Little Match Girl,"
"The Little Fir Tree," and "The Stal-
wart Tin Soldier" are all part of the
Yuletide season. Bringing the charm
and the international flavor of these
tales to the children of the country was
a Christmas project of the Arlington,
Virginia, County Department of Recre-
ation and Parks, assisted by the public
library and the Danish Embassy in near-
by Washington, D. C.
One of the department's art instruc-
tors, vitally interested in creative art for
children, had long dreamed of arrang-
ing a series of art exhibits and demon-
strations. When she learned of a collec-
tion of children's illustrations for the
Andersen stories, in Washington, D. C.,
awaiting shipment home to Denmark,
she acted immediately. Collected
through the International Union for
Child Welfare by the Danish Save the
Children organization, the collection
was first shown in that country under
the patronage of the queen of Denmark.
In the United States, the paintings had
been on tour for almost two years un-
der the sponsorship of the Smithsonian
Institution and the Danish Embassy.
The Arlington showing was their final
appearance in this country.
Gaily colored and highly imaginative.
the paintings were the work of children
in some forty countries, some only five
years old when their works were chosen
to become part of this exhibition. The
art instructor selected some seventy-five
illustrations, which were hung in the
upper hall of the main recreation center
and in one large upstairs room.
Billed as a "Fairy Tale Festival," the
exhibition opened the Sunday before
Christmas. Guest of honor was the cul-
tural attache of the Danish Embassy,
who spoke on the history of the col-
lection and its importance as a means of
cultural exchange among the children
RECREATION
- 10 -
BOWLING
ALLEYS
Reprinted with special permission.
"Well, anyway,
we didn't lose any of the balls."
of many nations. Staff members of the
public library told the children some of
the more colorful Andersen stories;
then the young guests were invited to
another room to try their skill at paint-
ing their own illustrations.
Crayons and large sheets of news-
print paper were waiting. Some artists
sat demurely at low tables; others
sprawled on the floor. There were so
many embryo artists that they had to
work in relays, some listening to new
stories while others drew. To round out
a joyous preholiday festival, the recre-
ation department served punch and
cookies. During the two-week exhibi-
tion, the story hour was repeated twice,
each time with great success.
Despite the season of the year, al-
ways crowded with festivities, the com-
bination of art exhibit, storytelling, and
do-it-yourself participation proved to
be a happy one the department plans to
repeat at intervals throughout the year.
While international collections are
not frequently available to most recrea-
tion departments, local art groups and
instructors are usually delighted to set
up an exhibit or to arrange for demon-
strations of their specialties. Arranging
the exhibit or demonstration for maxi-
mum audience participation is a big
step toward success, especially when the
audience is quite young. $:
FEBRUARY 1960
91
MARKET
NEWS
For further information regarding
any of these products, write directly
to the manufacturer. Please mention
that you saw it in RECREATION.
Jean Wachtel
Refreshments and recreation activities belong together.
And, according to Gold Medal Products, makers of conces-
sion equipment and supplies, refreshment sales can bring
profits equal to ten percent of operating expenses. The com-
pany is offering a free, 32-page-booklet, Refreshments Be-
long, which offers detailed information for the beginner
and tells how to make a success of refreshment concessions.
Topics covered are why sell refreshments, how to operate
the concession, what is needed, how to pay for it, and very
important, how to justify the venture to any possible critics.
Available from Recreation Supply Division, Gold Medal
Products Company, 307-11 E. Third Street, Cincinnati 2,
Ohio.
Noise control is a difficult problem to overcome in most
large enclosed areas, such as gymnasiums, arenas, audi-
toriums, large club rooms, and the
like. One of the more effective
sound insulation materials is a
glass fiber insulation blanket. The
particular product shown in the
photograph here of the Foster Jun-
ior High School gymnasium, Seat-
tle, Washington, is Gustin-Bacon
Ultralite, selected because of its
combination of flexibility, light
weight, strength, and noise-reduc-
tion properties. The material was
hung in a crisscross grid pattern,
visually and acoustically effective.
The openings permit natural light to come through trans-
lucent roof panels. The company also makes molded glass
fiber pipe insulation. For complete information, write
Gustin-Bacon Manufacturing Company, 210 West Tenth
Street, Kansas City, Missouri.
There is a great wealth of literature, most of it free, of-
fered by companies not only about their products, but how
to use them, construction details, dimensions and specifica-
tions, and, very often, background information. For your
convenience, we are listing several, with a capsule descrip-
tion. Do not, however, be limited by these. You can write
to the public relations departments of most companies ask-
ing for literature.
The Berlin Chapman Company, Berlin, Wisconsin, offers a
16-page fully illustrated catalog on Berlin Bleachers, cover-
ing EZ-A-Way mechanical folding bleachers and folding
chair stands, electrically operated mechanical folding
bleachers, and folding wall seats. They also describe their
ALL STEEL and aluminum portable bleachers, ALL STEEL
hydraulic movable portable bleachers, steel deck, standard
permanent and deluxe permanent grandstands, basketball
backstops, electrically operated backstops, automatic com-
bination basketball and golf practice cages. Copy upon re-
quest from Bleacher Division.
The American Air Filler Company, Louisville 8, Kentucky,
offers a number of bulletins of varying lengths about their
92
numerous products. A good one with which to start would
be their 16-page composite product bulletin describing their
complete line. Bulletin No. 518 illustrates and describes
products for air filtering, cooling, heating, cleaning Icon-
trolling process dust), moving, exhausting, humidifying
and dehumidifying air for the benefit of men, machines,
and profits. Also included are descriptions of products man-
ufactured by AAF's Kennard, Herman Nelson. Illinois En-
gineering, and American Air divisions. The bulletin is
available on request from Dept. PD, American Air Filter
Company, 215 Central Avenue, Louisville 8, Kentucky .
Other bulletins will be described at a later date.
The Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association has made
available a new Specifications Manual for Northern hard
maple, beech, and birch flooring. Single copies of the Amer-
ican Institute of Architects file-size booklet can be obtained
free from the MFMA, 35 East Wacker Drive, Chicago 1.
The dead of winter is here, bringing with it thoughts ol
building refurbishment. A product that could make \our
various types of recreation buildings cooler this coming
summer is a new aluminum roof coating that's said to im-
prove with age. Allied Chemicals' Barrett Division devel-
oped this product fundamentally for renovating old com-
position roofs, to cover cracks and small holes, revitalize
and protect the dried-out felt base, but in the process found
that it had excellent heat insulating properties because it
grew brighter with the passage of time. In this manner, the
roof reflects back more and more heat in the summer months
and, during the winter, turns inside heat back toward the
house. The asphalt-based aluminum coating is available
fibrated or unfibrated in five-gallon cans. For complete in-
formation write Allied Chemicals, Barrett Division. 10 Rev-
tor Street, New York 6, New York.
A new game in the field of recreation and recreation ther-
apy is Table Soccer. Sturdily constructed of good main i -I-.
the game is available in several dilTerent models. \> m;ri\
as eight people can play at one time in an area approximate!]
seven by five feet. The setup is pleasanllv ill-signed, m.ii i-
lenance negligible. Several model- have been designed ! i
coin operation where so desired. Write Table Soiver Lim-
ited. P.O. Box OJ'il. Madi-on I. \\i-ron-in.
lil ( lil M ll>\
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Page
American Playground Device Company .. 55
Brinktun, Inc. .. Inside Back Cover
Castello Judo Equipment Company 93
Champion Recreation Equipment Company
Inside Back Cover
Chicago Roller Skate Company Back Cover
rxposition Press 93
: lxible Company 50
Sold Medal Products Company 53
nstitutional Cinema Service, Inc. _ 55
lames Spencer and Company 93
I. E. Burke Company 54
Monroe Company 93
National Sports Company 55
tecreation Equipment Company 50
Mieem Califone Corporation 53
Story, Craft and Song Service 93
f. F. Twardzik 55
U. S. Defense Bonds Inside Front Cover
Voit
49
Vogel-Peterson Company _ 55
Wenger Music Equipment Company 93
* Writers *
for RECREATION!
Please double-space all
manuscripts, leave wide
margins, and send the
original copy, not a
carbon.
JUDO UNIFORMS of Championship Weight
"Pigeon" Brand Kodokan Recommended
COAT: Double-Hollow Weave (Reinforced)
PANTS and BELT: Single Drill
Immediate Delivery
F -r CASTELLO
New York City EQUIPMENT COMPANY ^r
30 EAST TENTH STREET, NEW YORK 3, NEW YORK
DIRECT PRICES
DISCOUNTS & TERMS
FOLDING TABLE LINE
Kilfhcn committees, social groups, atten-
tion! Factory prices & discounts up to W'b
to Churches. Schools. Clubs, etc. Mi'tnoc
;ill-nc\v IOI.D-KING Banquet h.hles.
with exclusive IK-M .miom.mc folding und
^'"BIG'N'IW' i960 "CATALOG "FREE
Color pic-lure's. Fuil line l;ih!cs, chairs. I;ihlc iind chiiir trucks, plat-
tiirm-risc-rs. |.rl.ihlc- parlilions. tiulkcin hoards. Our .Vnd yaa.
^ THE MONROE CO., 181 Church St., Colfax, Iowa
Free to WRITERS
seeking a book publisher
Two fact-filled, illustrated brochures tell how
1 to publish your book, get 40% royalties, na-
tional advertising, publicity and promotion.
Free editorial appraisal. Write Dept. R-2
Exposition Press / 386 4th Ave, NY. 16
XACTSI?E
New, improved Golden Age Club Pin.
Now in real gold plate with tree in
green jewelers' enamel. Safety catch.
50c each, including federal tax and
postage.
Minimum order 10 pins
Available only to authentic clubs.
JAMES SPENCER & CO.
22 N. 6th Street Philadelphia 6, Pa.
with the portable
SHOW WAGON
you can GO where
the events take place
...and be heard
MUSIC
EQUIPMENT
CO.
walonna, Minn.
STORIES, CRAFTS AND SONGS
Recreational ideas for boys and girls in schools,
camps, playground, and recreational programs.
Send $1 for five different original stories with crafts
and song materials.
Story, Craft and Song Service
Box 567 Ottawa, Illinois
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RATES: Words in regular type $.15 each
Words in boldface type $.25 each
Minimum ad accepted .... $3.00
DEADLINES: Copy must be received by
the fifth of the month preceding date of
the issue in which ad is desired.
COPY: Type or clearly print your message and the address to which you wish
replies sent. Underline any words you want to appear in boldface type.
Send copy with remittance to:
RECREATION Classified Advertising, 8 West Eighth Street, New York 11, New York.
HELP WANTED
Recreation Therapists
for California State Hospi-
tals. Opportunity to plan
and conduct individual pa-
tient recreation as well as
special group activities;
modern equipment and fa-
cilities available. Positions
open to college graduates
with major in recreation or
recreation therapy, which
included supervised field
work. No experience re-
quired. Starting salary
The publisher assumes
$415.00 per month; promo-
tional opportunities; liber-
al employment benefits.
Write State Personnel
Board, 801 Capitol Avenue,
Sacramento, California.
Recreation Supervisor
opening in Denver, Colo-
rado, for college graduate
with recreation or related
major, plus five years' ex-
perience in a planned rec-
reation program, including
three years in a supervisory
capacity. Duties involve
administration, year-round
golf program, and/or sum-
mer waterfront activities.
Monthly salary range: $525-
657. Apply Career Service
Authority, Room 180, City
and County Building, Den-
ver, Colorado.
SERVICES
AVAILABLE
Square Dance Caller, col-
lege, club, or convention.
Piute Pete, 55 West Eighth
Street, New York 11, New
York.
no responsibility for services or items advertised here.
I960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
93
Magazine Articles
ADULT LEADERSHIP, December 1959
A Look at "Creative Thinking," James S.
Winston.
AMERICAN FORESTS, December 1959
How Much Is Enough? (Glacier Peak
Wilderness Area) .
ARTS AND ACTIVITIES, January 1960
What Shall We Do About Contests? Bur-
ton Wasserman.
What To Do with Old License Plates,
Yvonne Parks Hunt.
A Way to Quick-Print, Margaret Winston
Stone and Eleanor Ashbough.
CAMPING MAGAZINE, December 1959
Decentralization Forward Step to Better
Camping, Lois Goodrich.
Established Camps Can Decentralize, Vern
0. Harper.
Music JOURNAL, January 1960
Music's Place in Recreation, Siebolt H.
Frieswyk.
RECREATION MANAGEMENT, December 1959
18th Annual Conference Proceedings.
SENIOR CITIZEN, January 1960
The Inevitable Four-day Week, Edward W .
Ziegler.
Who Goes to White House Conference?
SWIMMING POOL ACE, December 1959
3rd Annual Awards Design Competition
Winners.
TODAY'S HEALTH, December 1959
Everybody's Square Dancing, James C. G.
Connijj.
Books & Pamphlets
Received
Education
AMERICAN DECREE MILLS, Robert H. Reid.
American Council on Education, 1785 Mas-
sachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington 6, D.C.
Pp.100. Paper, $1.00.
ARTS AND LETTERS: A National Program
Needed? Center for Information on Amer-
ica, Washington, Conn. Pp. 4. $.35.
DISAPPEARING PLAYROOM, THE (reprint), Eu-
nice E. Bigelow and Rowena M. Shoemaker.
Play Schools Association, 41 W. 57th St.,
N. Y. 19. Pp. 4. Free.
FIT FOR COLLEGE. AAHPER, 1201 16th St.,
N.W., Washington 6, D.C. Pp. 24. $.50.
GROWTH OF THE MIND, A. K. Koffka. Little-
field, Adams, 128 Oliver St., Paterson 1,
N.J. Pp. 427. Paper, $1.95.
How GOOD Is OUR KINDERGARTEN? Lorraine
Sherer. Association for Childhood Educa-
tional International, 1200 15th St., N.W.,
Washington 5, D.C. Pp. 35. $.75.
How TO HELP YOUR CHILD IN READING, WRIT-
ING AND ARITHMETIC, Frieda E. Van Atta.
Random House, 457 Madison Ave., New
York 22. Pp. 374. $4.95.
How TO HAVE WHAT You WANT IN YOUR FU-
TURE, Lena Y. deGrummond, Ph.D. and
Minns S. Robertson, Ph.D. Pageant Press,
101 5th Ave., New York 3. Pp. 77. $2.50.
INTEGRATED CLASSROOM, THE, H. Harry Giles.
Basic Books, 59 4th Ave., New York 3. Pp
338. $5.00.
ISSUES IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, Marvin
D. Alcorn and James M. Linley, Editors.
World Book Co., 313 Park Hill Ave., Yon-
kers, N.Y. Pp. 420. $5.00.
JUNIOR COLLEGES AND SPECIALIZED SCHOOLS
AND COLLEGES (3rd ed., 1959) . Porter Sar-
gent, 11 Beacon St., Boston. Pp. 448. $5.00.
KNOWLEDGE Is NOT ENOUGH, Samuel B.
Gould. Antioch Press, Yellow Springs,
Ohio. Pp. 232. $3.50.
PRIVATE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, 1959 Year-
book. Bunting & Lyon, Wallingford, Conn.
Pp. 1059. $7.50.
SPURS TO CREATIVE TEACHING, Laura Zirbes.
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 210 Madison Ave.,
New York 16. Pp. 354. $5.75.
Ill and Handicapped
ADVANCES IN PSYCHIATRY, Mabel Blake Co-
hen, MD, Editor. W. W. Norton, 55 5th
Ave., New York 3. Pp. 314. $4.95.
ALCOHOLISM: The Nutritional Approach, Ro-
ger J. Williams. University of Texas Press,
Austin. Pp. 118. $2.50.
CAPE TO CAPE BY WHEEL-CHAIR, Ernest M.
Gutman. William-Frederick Press, 391 E.
149th St., New York 55. Pp. 225. $4.75.
EFFECTS OF EARLY BLINDNESS, Seymour Axel-
rod, PhD. American Foundation for the
Blind, 15 W. 16th St., New York 11. Pp.
83. Paper, $1.00.
EMPLOYABILITY OF THE MULTIPLE-HANDI-
CAPPED (Reprint DR-21), William Usdane,
PhD. Nat'l Soc. for Crippled Children and
Adults, 2023 W. Ogden Ave., Chicago 12.
Pp.6. $.25.
GIVE Us THE TOOLS, Henry Viscardi, Jr.
Eriksson-Taplinger, 119 W. 57th St., New
York 19. Pp. 266. $3.95.
GROUP METHODS IN THERAPY, Jerome D.
Frank, MD. Public Affairs Committee, 22
E. 38th St., New York 16. Pp. 28. $.25.
HANDICAPPED, THE, Adolph A. Apton, MD.
Citadel Press, 222 4th Ave., New York 3.
Pp. 126. $3.00.
HEARING: a Handbook for Laymen, Norton
Canfield, MD. Doubleday, 575 Madison
Ave., New York 22. Pp. 214. $3.50.
HEARING Loss, Greydon G. Boyd, MD. J. B.
Lippincott, E. Washington Sq., Philadel-
phia. Pp. 190. Paper, $1.45.
HELEN KELLER STORY, THE, Catherine Owens
Peare. Thomas Y. Crowell, 432 4th Ave.,
New York 16. Pp. 183. $2.75.
HELP FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED THROUGH
VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION, Nat'l Assoc.
for Retarded Children, 386 Park Ave., S.,
New York 16. Pp. 24. $.25.
HOME CARE OF THE HEMOPHILIC CHILD, Doro-
thy W. White. Nat'l Hemophilia Founda-
tion, 175 5th Ave., New York 10. Pp. 14.
$.25.
HOME NURSING HANDBOOK. Metropolitan Life
Insurance Co., 1 Madison Ave., New York
10. Pp. 29. Free.
How RETARDED CHIIDRF.N CAN BE HELPED,
Evelyn Hart. Public Affairs Committee, 22
E. 38th St., New York 16. Pp. 28. $.25.
How TO SECURE HELP FOR THOSE WHO NEED
IT. Community Council of Greater N. Y.,
345 E. 45th St., New York 17. Pp. 32. Free.
I RECLAIMED MY CHILD, Lucille Stout. Chil-
ton Co., 56th & Chestnut Sts., Philadelphia
39. Pp. 89. $2.75.
IT'S GOOD To BE ALIVE, Roy Campanella. Lit-
tle, Brown, 64 Beacon St., Boston 6. Pp.
306. $4.50.
ON THE MYSTERIOUS LEAP FROM THE MIND TO
THE BODY, Felix Deutsch, MD, Editor. In-
ternational Universities Press, 227 W. 13th
St., New York 11. Pp. 273. $5.00.
PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR MOTOR DISORDERS RE-
SULTING FROM BRAIN DAMAGE (Reprint
DR-22), Sarah Semans. Nat'l Soc. for Crip-
pled Children and Adults, 2023 W. Ogden
Ave., Chicago 12. Pp. 11. $.25.
PSYCHOTHERAPY AND SOCIETY, W. G. Elias-
berg, MD. Philosophical Library, 15 E.
40th St., New York 16. Pp. 223. $6.00.
PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH CHILDREN, Clark E.
Moustakas. Harper & Bros., 49 E. 33rd St.,
New York 16. Pp. 324. $5.00.
RECREATION FOR THE MENTALLY ILL, B. E.
Phillips, Editor. AAHPER, 1201 16th St.,
N.W., Washington 6, D. C. Pp.77. $2.00.
SPEECH THERAPY, William T. Daley and E.
Milo Pritchett, Editors. Catholic Univer-
sity Press, 620 Michigan Ave., N.E., Wash-
ington 17, D. C. Pp. 166. $3.25.
TRUTH ABOUT YOUR EYES, THE (2nd ed.),
Derrick Vail, MD. Farrar, Straus & Cudahy,
101 5th Ave., New York 3. Pp. 180. $3.50.
TOWARD UNDERSTANDING STUTTERING, Wen-
dell Johnson. Nat'l Soc. for Crippled Child-
ren and Adults, 2023 W. Ogden Ave., Chi-
cago 12. Pp. 36. $.25.
WELFARE & HEALTH IN NEW YORK CITY, 1959.
Community Council of Greater N. Y., 345
E. 45th St., New York 17. Pp. 64. Free.
WHAT'S IN YOUR FUTURE A CAREER IN
HEALTH? Herbert Yahraes. Public Affairs
Committee, 22 E. 38th St., New York 16.
Pp. 28. $.25.
WHEN A FAMILY FACES CANCER, Elizabeth
Ogg. Public Affairs Committee, 22 E. 38th
St., New York 16. Pp. 28. $.25.
WHERF. SOMEBODY CARES, Motbrr M. Berna-
dette de Lourdes & others, G. P. Putnam's
Sons, 210 Madison Ave., New York 16. Pp.
252. $5.00.
Music
ANGLO-AMERICAN FOLKSONG SCHOLARSHIP.
D. K. Wilgus. Rutgers University Press,
30 College Ave., New Brunswick, N. J. Pp.
466. $7.50.
ART OF JAZZ, THE, Martin T. Williams, Editor.
Oxford University Press. 417 5th Ave., New
York 16. Pp. 248. $5.00.
COLE PORTER SONG BOOK, THE. Simon &
Schuster, 630 5th Ave., New York 20. Pp.
215. $12.50.
COMPLETE BOOK OF 20TH CENTURY Mi ~n .
THE (rev. ed.). Prentice-Hall, Enplewood
Cliffs, N. J. Pp. 527. $7.50.
FAVORITE TUNES (for 2- & 3-part treble
voices), compiled by Harry W. Seitz. Har-
old Flammer. 251 W. 19th St., New York
II. Pp. 30. $1.50.
READ 'M AND WEEP (rev. ed.), Sipmund
Spaeth. Arco, 480 Lexington Ave,, New
York 17. Pp. 248. Paper, $1.25.
SONGS FOR FUN (for 2-part voices), Jerry
Weseley Harris. Harold Flammer, 251 W.
19th St., New York 11. Pp. 62. Paper,
$1.25.
SONG WITHOUT END, Hilda While. E. P. Dut-
ton. 300 4th Ave.. New York 10. Pp. 300.
$3.95.
WHY Do LITTLE CHILDREN SING? E. Hortenoe
Lindorff. Augustana Press. Rook Island,
III. Pp. 15. $.10.
Sports, Physical Education
BASEBALL PLAY AND STRATEGY, Ethan Alien.
Ronald Press, 15 E. 26th St., New York 10.
Pp.361. $5.50.
94
RF.CRKATION
BASEBALL STORIES, Parke Cummings, Editor.
Hill & Wang, 104 5th Ave., New York 11.
Pp.210. $3.00.
BASKETBALL GUIDE Sept. 1959-Sept. 1960, Ir-
ma Schalk, Editor. AAHPER, 1201 16th
St., N.W., Washington 6, D.C. Pp. 160. Pa-
per, $.75.
BASKETBALL Individual Offensive, "Hot Rod"
Hundley. Gainsford Publishing, P. 0. Box
2414, Delray Beach, Fla. Unpaged. $1.10.
BEST SPORTS STORIES 1959, Irving T. Marsh
and Edward Ehre, Editors. E. P. Button,
300 4th Ave., New York 10. Pp. 336. $3.95.
BETTER BOXING, Edie LaFond and Julie Men-
endez. Ronald Press, 15 E. 26th St., New
York 10. Pp. 118. $2.95.
Boating:
1960 OBC STANDARDS MANUAL. Outboard
Boating Club of America, 370 N. Michigan
Ave., Chicago 1. Pp. 64. Free.
OBC DIGEST OF STATE BOAT TRAILER LAWS
(chart). Outboard Boating Club of Amer-
ica, 307 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 1. Free.
CATAMARANS, John Fisher, pp. 64; START-
ING TO RACE, John Fisher, pp. 64; YACHT
RACING RULES, Simplified, Hugh Somerville,
pp. 49; COASTAL NAVIGATION WRINKLES, M.
J. Rantzen, pp. 61; OCEAN CRUISING, Guy
Cole, pp. 64. John deGraff, 31 E. 10th St.,
New York 3. $1.25 each.
EASY STEPS TO SAFE SWIMMING, Evelyn Ditton
McAllister. Vantage Press, 120 W. 31st St.,
New York 1. Pp. 83. $2.95.
How TO MAKE FISHING LURES, Vlad Evanoff.
Ronald Press, 15 E. 26th St., New York 10.
Pp. 108. $3.50.
How TO PLAY SHUFFLEBOARD, Col. P. C. Bul-
lard. 414 Lealman Trailer Ct., 3301 Lealman
Ave., N., St. Petersburg, Fla. Pp. 99. $1.43
(add $.04 to Fla. addresses).
INSTRUCTIONS IN SAILING, Hilary Tunstall-
Behrens. Sportshelf, P. O. Box 634, New
Rochelle, N.Y. Pp. 144. $3.75.
IT'S EASY TO WATER SKI. Northland Ski Mfg.
Co., 2325 Endicott St., St. Paul 14, Minn.
Unpaged. Free.
JUMPING SIMPLIFIED, Margaret Cabell Self.
Ronald Press, 15 E. 26th St., New York 10.
Pp.80. $2.95.
MODERN ADVENTURES UNDER THE SEA, Patrick
Pringle. Franklin Watts, 575 Lexington
Ave., New York 22. Pp.240. $3.95.
MODERN SHORT PUNT, THE, Lou Thorn How-
ard. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Pp. 181. $4.95.
Music AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION, R. M.
Thackray. Sportshelf, P. O. Box 634, New
Rochelle, N.Y. Pp. 133. $3.50.
POPULAR JUDO, Pat Butler. Associated Book-
seller, E. State St., & Maple Ave., Westport,
Conn. Pp. 78. $2.50.
RECORDS AND CHAMPIONS, Sportshelf, P. 0.
Box 634, New Rochelle, N. Y. Pp. 96. Paper,
$2.00.
ROWING TO WIN, Colin Porter. Sportshelf,
P. 0. Box 634, New Rochelle, N.Y. Pp. 155.
$4.25.
'SADDLE UP," Lt. Col. Frank C. Hitchcock.
Sportshelf, P. 0. Box 634, New Rochelle,
N.Y. Pp. 286. $6.75.
SAILING. Sportshelf, Box 634, New Rochelle,
N.Y. Pp. 32. $.75.
SAILING PRIMER, W. D. Park. Sportshelf,
P. 0. Box 634, New Rochelle, N.Y. Pp. 109.
$3.25.
SOFTBALL WITH OFFICIAL RULES (3rd ed.),
Arthur T. Noren. Ronald Press, 15 E. 26th
St., New York 10. Pp. 139. $2.95.
PUBLICATIONS
Covering the Leisure-time Field
The Little Naturalist, Frances Frost.
Whittlesey House, 330 W. 42nd St.,
New York 36. Pp. 47, illustrated.
$2.50.
The appeal this book of verses will
have for children lies in the poet's sensi-
tive approach to nature rather than in
any startling use of word patterns. Em-
ploying conventional verse forms, Miss
Frost caught nature by surprise in the
small lives of baby foxes, chipmunks,
rabbits, frogs, birds, and insects, and
related it all to experiences which are
familiar to the human young.
Kurt Werth's generous double-page
illustrations, in color and black-and-
white, extend the attractiveness of a sat-
isfying format throughout the book and
illuminate the imaginative stretch be-
tween its covers. Elizabeth Culbert,
National Recreation Association Li-
brary.
Pantomimes, Charades and Skits,
Vernon Howard. Sterling Publishing,
4'19 Fourth Avenue, New York 16. Pp.
124, illustrated. $2.50.
This little volume contains sugges-
tions for, and examples of, the three
types of dramatic activities mentioned
in its title. As an aid to a camp or com-
munity center leader, a teacher in
church or school, or a rural leader in-
terested in starting a teen-age group in
drama, it will be very helpful. The ma-
terial is well presented, interesting, and
in good taste.
Adventures in Making The Ro-
mance of Crafts Around the World,
Seon Manley. Vanguard Press, 424
Madison Avenue, New York 17. Pp.
180, illustrated. $4.95.
Before the hands can create anything
beautiful, the heart must be ready. This
book is for the heart. Beautifully illus-
trated, beautifully printed, it tells of the
romance of crafts how they started,
why they started, where they started.
As the author says, "From the cloaks of
the ancient Hawaiian kings to Paul Re-
vere's Liberty Bowl, to the clay jug of
a young craftsman today, imagination
and craftsmanship are found every-
where, at all times, among all people
of the world.
The romance of each craft is devel-
oped through the use of a short tale
about young boys and girls of many
lands and many ages, and leads smooth-
ly into authentic information about the
craft itself. Its charm, sympathy, and
enthusiasm will help any youngster
from around nine to fourteen develop
new respect for the work of his hands,
and a new interest in the two thousand
years of crafts covered here.
The illustrations are gorgeous. They
were selected from more than fifty mu-
seums and other agencies, and cover
the best examples of crafts of the world
down the ages a truly lovely and re-
markable book. Craft leaders should
find it valuable in developing interest
in the program. Storytellers will find
fascinating tales in it. No one starting
it, regardless of age, will be able to put
it down without reading it.
Gemcraft How to Cut and Polish
Gemstones. Lelande Quick and Hugh
Leiper. Chilton Company, 56th &
Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia 39. Pp.
182, illustrated. $7.50.
Did you know that gemcutting has
been one of the fastest growing hob-
bies? It is estimated that some three
million people follow some phase of
"rockology." Some two thousand deal-
ers cater to these hobbyists by supply-
ing such machines, supplies, books, and
other needs.
Why such popularity? Because it
can be a family hobby, can be followed
at some time every day, is not seasonal,
requires no expensive gear, and pro-
vides a real, creative outlet resulting in
something beautiful.
This book, beautifully i lustrated,
FEBRUARY 1960
95
will be welcomed by all "rockhounds"
who wish to do more than merely col-
lect specimens. To agencies and de-
partments interested in organizing such
a hobby club, it gives valuable informa-
tion techniques, supplies, and equip-
ment on all phases of gemcutting, from
the simple to the most elaborate. Ex-
pensive, yes, but worth it.
Be Your Own Judge, M. Emett Wil-
son. Abelard-Schuman, 404 Park Av-
enue, South, New York 16. Pp. 192.
$3.95.
Dr. Wilson, professor of music his-
tory and literature at Ohio State Uni-
versity, has written a provocative little
book on the various arts. He makes
the safe assumption that art is for peo-
ple, and that people should feel free to
enjoy the arts to the best of their ability.
His book contains many fine clues to
the enjoyment of the arts. It makes no
pretense of being a complete guide.
However, the reader will at least feel
encouraged to believe that he does not
need a complete technical comprehen-
sion of the arts before making his own
judgments or his own criticism of art.
Be Your Own Judge provides him with
the first steps in assuming the role of
critic.
Alcoa's Book of Decorations. Gold-
en Press, 630 Fifth Avenue, New York
20. Pp. 94, illustrated. $1.95. Paper,
$1.00.
This little book, every page filled
with gay, colorful photographs and
sketches, shows how to use aluminum
foil in an amazing number of ways to
decorate for parties, special holidays,
such as Easter, Halloween, and Christ-
mas, and special occasions, such as
Mother's and Father's Day. showers,
anniversaries, Valentine's Day. and the
like.
It also instructs in foil sculpturing,
masks, puppets, and special-theme party
decorations. The projects are clever,
original, and clearly described.
The Joy of Music, Leonard Bernstein.
Simon and Schuster, 630 Fifth Avenue,
New York 20. Pp. 303, ill. $5.95.
The Joy of Music contains the scripts
of seven Omnibus telecasts millions of
Americans enjoyed. This will give the
readers who viewed these lucid and fas-
cinating performances an opportunity
to recall and review the fine presenta-
tions on "The World of Jazz." "Ameri-
can Musical Comedy." "What Makes
Opera Grand?," and other subjects.
HERO MONTH
The story hour needs no justification
other than the enjoyment it affords both
storyteller and listeners. Though there
are times in the year propitious for in-
troducing special stories or groups of
stories, we must be alert to the danger
of allowing a theme to take precedence
over the stories themselves.
With this warning about overempha-
sis on theme, we suggest February as
a perfect time for adventuring through
history with heroes. It is truly a hero
month, with Lincoln's and Washing-
ton's birthdays setting the pace, and
Brotherhood Week opening out into
every age and corner of world litera-
ture. It is a good time to invite those
older boys and girls who may have be-
gun to feel a bit self-conscious about at-
tending folk- and fairy-tale story hours.
It is a challenge to the storyteller to
compare the many fine versions of the
classic myths and legends that have
been prepared for young people and.
drawing upon his own background of
reading, to adapt them for telling. The
collections listed here are sources that
have been tapped many times. The
storyteller preparing a program for
"hero month" will find riches in them
all. ELIZABETH CULBERT. librarian,
National Recreation Association.
Begin with Poetry
Book of Americans, Rosemary and
Stephen V. Benet (Rinehart. $3.00) .
A Way of Knowing (a collection of
poems for boys) , compiled by Gerald
D. McDonald (Crowell, $3.00).
Gods and Heroes
Thunder of the Gods, Dorothy G. Hos-
ford (Holt, $2.50).
Book of Myths: Selections from Bui-
finch's Age of Fable, Helen Sewell
(Macmillan, $3.50).
Mythology, Edith Hamilton (Little,
Brown. $5.00).
All of Leonard Bernstein's comments
and music are sound and authoritative
as one would expect from the famous
conductor of the New York Philhar-
monic.
Most of the commentary is under-
standable to the layman, and he will
feel he is being given a conducted tour
of music by a man who not only under-
stands music but understands people as
well.
Hearing Gateway to Music, Adele
T. Katz and Ruth Halle Rowen. Summy-
Birchard Publishing Company, 1834
Ridqe Avenue, Evanston, Illinois. Pp.
172. $5.00. Paper, $3.00.
Here is a thorough and detailed man-
ual on the rudiments of musical prac-
tices, based on hearing the elements of
music melody, harmony, rhythm. The
book contains 250 examples, many of
them complete songs, and numerous
additional suggestions. This is both a
teacher's and a student's workbook, but
in most cases the student will need the
help of a good teacher. It is well organ-
ized, basic, and will equip the student
to come to grips with those changes the
twentieth century has effected, as well
as increase understanding of mu*ic <>f
all the ai_ r < >.
Story of King Arthur ami His Knights.
Howard Pyle (Scribner's, $3.75).
Merry Adventures of Robin Hooil. Ho-
ward Pyle (Scribner's. $3.75).
Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who
Lived Before Achilles, Padraic Co-
lum (Macmillan. $3.50).
The Golden Treasury oj Myths and
Legends (adapted from the world's
great classics). Anne Terry \\hite
(Golden Tress. S4.<>5 I .
Children 's Homer: Adventure of Odys-
seus and the Tale of Troy. Padriac
Colum I Macmillan. $3.50).
American Legendary < .i.mi-
Yanhee Doodle's Cousins. Anne Mai-
colmson (Houghton. $3.50).
Pecos Bill, the Greatest Cowboy of All
Time, James Cloyd Bowman (\\liit-
inan. $3.00).
()!' I'anl. ill,- \liiiht\ Lopiirr. Glen
Rounds (Holidax House. $2.50).
96
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1960
DISTRICT
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Schedule
HOTEL
DATES
LOCATION
California and Pacific
Southwest
February 14-17
San Jose, California
St. Claire
Middle Atlantic
March 23-25
Pocono Manor, Pa.
Pocono Manor Inn
Southwest
March 30-31 -Apr. 1-2
Shreveport, La.
Washington Youree and
Capt. Shreve Hotels
(connected by arcade)
Great Lakes
April 4-8
St. Paul, Minn.
St. Paul
Midwest
April 6-8
Kansas City, Mo.
President
Southeast
April 18-20
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Edgewater Gulf
Pacific Northwest
April 10-13
Sun Valley, Idaho
The Lodge
New England
May 15-18
Swampscott, Mass.
New Ocean House
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Space for 10 or 210?
EXPAND ACTIVITIES IN YOUR GYM
Everyone can participate in roller skating, and it's more fun
than a barrel of monkeys. Roller skating entertains and
exercises more people in less space than any other sport.
That's why more schools, churches and recreation centers have
roller skating as an integral part of their programs.
NEW RUBBER-PLASTIC WHEELS ARE KIND TO GYM FLOORS
These new Duryte rubber-plastic wheels outwear others and
are guaranteed not to mar or scratch the floors. "Chicago"
has a skate designed for any type of floor surface or finish.
Wn'fe today for free details on roller skating programs and
skating equipment.
Chicago Roller Skate Co., 4490-B W. Lake Street, Chicago 24, III.
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
NATIONAL RECREATION ASSOCIATION MARCH 19^ !i SOc
HAVE YOU BEEN LOOKING FOR...
Books on Camping?
1 52. THE CAMP PROGRAM BOOK.
Catherine T. Hammett and Vir-
ginia Mussel man.
A one-volume camping encyclo-
pedia covering program planning,
outdoor living, sports, arts and
crafts, specific programs, pageants.
380 pp. 5.00
827. ABC's OF CAMP Music.
Janet E. Tobitt.
A reference book for counselors of
songs suitable for campers of all
ages as well as dramatized ballads
and folk dances. 46 pp.
Paper .75*
145. ADMINISTRATION OF THE
MODERN CAMP. Hedley S. Di-
mock, Ed.
Outlines functions, principles, and
procedures of camp management
for the director and staff. Articles
from 1 1 contributors. 283 pp.
5.00*
1198. THE COMPLETE BOOK OF
CAMPFIRE PROGRAMS. LaRue
A. Thurston.
Contains all aspects of a successful
campfire adaptable to any camp:
the circle of friendship, program
activities, attitudes of the leader,
and leadership techniques. Illustra-
tions. 3 1 8 pp. 5.95
564. FOR THE STORYTELLER.
National Recreation Assn.
How to select stories and how to
tell them effectively. With a bibli-
ography. 36 pp. Paper .85
1209. YOUR OWN BOOK OF
CAMPCRAFT. Catherine T. Ham-
mett.
Describes the skills that make a
good camper. Packing food and
equipment; knot-tying; fire-build-
ing; cooking; preparing a bedroll,
etc. For picnicker, camper or
scout group. Illustrated. 197 pp.
Paper .35*
783. CREATIVE CRAFTS FOR
CAMPERS. Catherine T. Ham-
mett and Carol M. Horrocks.
An emphasis on outdoor arts and
crafts in organized camps and for
handcrafters of all ages. 175 proj-
ects using nature's designs and ma-
terials. 431 pp. 7.95
149. CAMP COUNSELING. (2nd
ed.) A. Viola Mitchell and Ida
B. Crawford.
Complete, up-to-date guide to
camping how to handle problem
campers, instructions for teaching
crafts, music, sports, etc. 406 pp.
4.75*
1395. HANDBOOK OF CAMP
MAINTENANCE. Alan A. Na-
thans.
Presents procedures in mainte-
nance of camps that need not he
done by skilled artisans. Guide to
basic maintenance programs and
procedures for equipment, build-
ings, and grounds. Glossary. Il-
lustrated. 240 pp. 7.95
1491. CREATIVE NATURE
CRAFTS. Robert O. Bale.
Directions for projects made out of
materials from nature such as
rocks, horn, bones, bark, etc. In-
cludes dried flowers, nature jewelry
and prints, straw crafts, and many
more. Bibliography. Illustrated.
Spiral-bound. 120pp. Paper 2.50
1416. OUTDOOR RAMBLES. Stu-
art L. Thompson.
An invitation to enjoy fully the
world around us by acquiring "the
Books on Nature?
hearing ear and the seeing eye."
Sights and sounds on rambles
through the woods and down the
river. Illustrated. 147pp. 3.50
1290. THE TREE IDENTIFICA-
TION BOOK. George W. D. Sy-
monds.
1539 pictures to help identify 130
different trees. In two sections:
Pictorial Keys, showing fruit, bark,
flowers, etc.; Master Pages, show-
ing member of the family. Side-
edge indexed. 272 pp. 10.00
481. ADVENTURING IN NATURE.
Betty Price.
A booklet of ideas for nature activ-
ities for all seasons. 95 pp.
Paper 1.25
a
\
For your convenience order by number from the Recreation Book Center
National Kec-SEtioc Association 8 West 8th Street N> w York 11, New York
I
MACGREGOR
for good sports everywhere!
Whatever your in-season sports program, MacGregor athletic
equipment can help make it a popular success. Golf, tennis,
softball, baseball just about any sport comes off better when
MacGregor balls and equipment are used. Generations of ath-
letic-minded men and women, boys and girls, have looked to
MacGregor for the finest in all sports equipment. Give your
program a boost by providing the best . . . MacGregor for all
good sports. MacGregor equipment is available from sporting
goods dealers everywhere.
A Brunswick
Subsidiary
"The Choice of Those Who Ploy The Game
THE MACGREGOR CO., Cincinnati 32, Ohio BASEBALL FOOTBALL BASKETBALL COIF TENNIS
MARCH 1960 When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
97
EVERY RECREATION PROGRAM NEEDS THESE:
POPCORN .< COTTON CANDY . . SNTO-KO
$5,000 ANNUAL PROFIT!
Don't handicap your program for lack of funds. Refresh-
ment Profits give you 10% more funds. Write for free 32-
page booklet which tells how easily your department can
earn them. Free 120-page catalog and descriptive literature
is also yours for the asking. Write today.
GOLD MEDAL PRODUCTS CO.
308 E. THIRD STREET
CINCINNATI 2, OHIO
Shuffleboard
Fun For Everyone!
From 8 to 80 here it exciting recrea-
tion for all ages . . . keen enjoyment
for players and spectators.
Rugged, Dimco FreeGlide Shuffle-
board sets are available for both out-
door and indoor installation.
Easy to install ... low in upkeep!
Write today for colorful folder, "Let's
Play Shuffleboard," containing com-
plete information on court layout and
equipment.
DIMCO-GRAY COMPANY
205 EAST SIXTH STREET
DAYTON 2, OHIO
Save
Time
and
Money!
Stop wasting time recording inventory costs,
handing out balls and paying top prices for low
quality balls. Install this attractive, cost-cutting
TFT Table Tennis Ball Meter NOW!
Leased FREE to responsible agencies on $10.00
deposit subject to refund. Trouble-free operation
assured return machine for FREE repair. Attrac-
tive hard wood and metal cabinet 7Vi x 8'/ x 1 5
inches high. Easy to install. Holds 1 20 balls-
dispenses each for 10*. Choice of 3 grades of
top quality balls. Use profit to maintain and re-
place paddles, nets, etc. No risk guarantee. Send
for free folder: "Stop Wasting Their Time."
T. F. TWARDZIK & CO.,
INCOPOIID
SHENANDOAH, PENNA.
RESOURCES AND
REFERENCES
A Guide to Organizing Family
Camps was prepared to help anyone in-
terested in using camp facilities for or-
ganized family camping. The informa-
tion and suggestions came from groups
and individuals who have used family
camps in Illinois. The 24-page pam-
phlet gives details of family "camptiv-
ity," from organization and setup to
programs and activities for family par-
ticipation as well as individual partici-
pation. Available for five cents from
College of Agriculture. University of
Illinois. Urbana.
The Crisis in Open Lain! i* a \alu-
able contribution to the literature set-
ting forth the need for open space in
America. In addition to pointing out
the need, however, the committee that
prepared this publication urges a pro-
gram of action and suggests steps that
should be taken in order to meet the
situation. This profusely illustrated
pumph'et merits careful study and is
available from the American Institute
of Park Executives. \Vlieelini:. \\ e>t
Virginia, for one dollar.
Educational Dix/ilm* nnd Exhibitt is
an attractive, 47-page pamphlet full of
suggestions and techniques for hettei
planned displays and exhibits, so im-
portant in publicizing your agency and
program. Often recreation leaders and
directors fail to communicate effective!]
illi their community and the public
heeaii-e lliey lack good public-relations
materials. Here an- procedures and
ideas for preparing bulletin-board <lis-
|ila\s. exhibits, and diorama-. \s the
booklet explains. "In evaluating the ef-
fectiveness of a display or an exhibit.
I lie most important questions to con-
sider are: Does it attract attention?
I >ocs it arouse and hold interest? The
exhibitor, through careful planning,
must satisfy these requirements. Tliis
he does through the elements of design,
line, texture, space, pattern, ami color.
He may use lhe-e elements to achieve,
movement, balance, emphasis or con-
trast, and unity of the overall plan."
Available for $2.00 from Visual In-
struction Bureau. University of Texas,
Austin 12.
98
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECURSION
MARCH 1960
THE MAGAZINE OF THE RECREATION MOVEMENT
Editor in Chief, JOSEPH PRENDERCAST
Editor, DOROTHY DONALDSON
ASSISTANT EDITORS
JEAN WACHTEL ELVIRA DELANY
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Administration, GEORGE BUTLER
Program, VIRGINIA MUSSELMAN
VOL. LIII.
Price 50 Cents
No. 3
On I ho Cover
Concentrating as only children can, these young-
sters go after water bug or fish as part of their camp
nature program an activity not found on the city
playground. Photo courtesy Drew Morton, from the
National Audubon Society.
Next Month
Pixies, pirates, and puppets you name it, you'll
find it, in April's Playground Issue. Here is mate-
rial ready at hand for playground planning and
leadership training. Included are "Uniform Outfits
for Leaders?"; "Patterns for Playgrounds"; "A Nau-
tical Play Community," illustrating the importance
of careful planning and placing of equipment; and
many other useful articles. "Playgrounds Abroad"
is a picture story of play areas and facilities in hous-
ing projects in Switzerland, Germany, Denmark.
Right out of the headlines are recreation trends in
today's play areas in America's motels, trailer parks,
and housing developments, an article on recreation
and delinquency, and the story of a successful com-
munity art council in Richmond, Virginia.
Photo Credits
Page 106, Hal H. Harrison, National Audubon So-
ciety; 107, William Z. Harmon, Sarasota, Florida;
112 Heft) and 113. C. Greenberg, New City, New
York; 116-7, Edward H. Goldberger, St. Louis, Mis-
souri; 122, Florida Park Service, Tallahassee; 124-5,
James Madison, National Recreation Association;
129 (top). Harry C. Asbury, Brattleboro, Vermont.
RECREATION is published monthly except July and
August by the National Recreation Association, a service
organization supported by voluntary contributions, at 8
West Eighth Street, New York 11, New York, is on
file in public libraries and is indexed in the Readers'
Guide. Subscriptions J4.00 a year. Canadian and for-
eign subscription rate $4.50. Re-entered as second-class
matter April 25. 1950, at the Post Office in New York,
New York under Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance
for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in
Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized May
1, 1924. Microfilms of current issues available Uni-
versity Microfilms, 313 N. First Street, Ann Arbor.
Michigan.
Space Representative!-. Mark Minahan, 185 North Wa-
bash Avenue, Chicago 1, Illinois.
Copyright, I960, by the
National Recreation Association, Incorporated
Printed in the U.S.A.
Trade mark registered in U. S. Patent Office.
CONTENTS
GENERAL FEATURES
Camps or Channel 9? (Editorial) . . . .Elizabeth B. Spear 100
The Four "F's" of Camping Julian H. Salomon 106
St. Paul Revitalized /,'/,, A. Lobdell 110
Daniel Boone Roams Again Dorothy Spear 116
Accent on Youth in Asia (Part II) ... .Sterling S. Winans 124
Protection Against Lightning During Storms 128
ADMINISTRATION
Notes for the Administrator 131
Are You Looking for Camp Land? . . .Stanley W. Stacker 132
A Study Report of Maintenance Problems 134
Contracting for Recreation Leadership
Charles F. Wecknerth 135
State and Local Developments 136
PROGRAM
Campfire Programs Lois Goodrich 109
Day Camp Patterns 112
Keep the Campfires Burning Joseph W. Halper 119
The Family Outdoors
Camps and Camping 122
A Family Vacation Night 123
Suggested Camp Swimming Regulations 123
Fun with Nature 126
A Progressive Camping Program Diane Link 127
Don't Take the Playground to Camp
Catherine T. Hammett 129
Recreation Afloat William H. Radke 130
Successful Boating Education 134
REGULAR FEATURES
Resources and References 98
Letters 102
Things You Should Know 104
A Reporter's Notebook 120
Market News 138
Classified Advertising 139
Index of Advertisers 139
Listening and Viewing 140
Recreation for the 111 and Handicapped 142
Magazine Articles, Recordings, Books and
Pamphlets Received 143
New Publications 144
IDUCATIONAL
IRESS
ISSOCIATION ^ e ort ' c ' es herein printed are the expres-
> OF sion of the writers and not a statement of
AMERICA policy of the National Recreation Association.
MARCH 1960
99
o
Editorial
CAMPS
OR
CHANNEL 9?
Elizabeth B. Spear
'RGANIZED CAMPING has proved its value in its first century. It proved
itself in its early years in a world relatively ordered and peaceful and,
even more convincingly, in later troubled decades. How much more vital
is its potential contribution today in a world grown suddenly smaller, a
world of tension, of cold war, crime, and confusion.
The American Camping Association is observing its golden jubilee in
1960. And the year 1961 will mark the one hundredth anniversary of the
establishment of probably the first organized camp in the United States.
What has happened in these hundred years that is worthy of commemo-
ration? Revealing answers could be found in the experiences of millions
of boys and girls and, in the past few decades, also of families and older
people, who have camped under private and public agency and individual
auspices.
What can a summer, or even a week or two, in a good camp give to a
girl or boy? Camp days can be more or less routine, a continuation of
activities campers have been experiencing; or they can open up whole new
fields of adventure, exciting interests and skills. It will be a sorry day for
camping if the cartoon depicting several campers complaining, "They
might at least have told us before they got us up here that they can't get
Channel 9," should ever actually reflect camp program patterns.
Friendships, learning of skills, adventure, healthful living, and fun are
normal expectations for a camping experience, and perhaps as far as many
campers go in anticipation. A children's camp is a child's world into which
he goes from an adult world. It is a world that exists solely for him, based
on his interests and geared to his needs. He has a part in planning what
goes on in his world a growing experience in itself.
In this world he is a person in his own right; his individual interests,
needs, abilities, aspirations count; he isn't forced into the same mold as
all of his tent mates. In camp he can develop a measure of independence
and self-reliance, with understanding guidance, and yet not be confused
by undisciplined liberty.
The camper lives in a setting that provides a favorable climate for re-
ducing differences to a common denominator. Differences in background,
whether of color or creed, clothes or the number of cars in the family ga-
rage, are of comparatively little consequence an individual is accepted
and respected for himself.
Instead of the clatter, the confusion, and, often, drabness of urban sur-
roundings, he is living in a world of sunshine, bird songs, green trees, blue
waters, of timid little animals a world of beauty and friendliness. Dr.
Harry Emerson Fosdick tells the story of a little girl who on seeing her
first rainbow, exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, mother, what's that advertising?"
What better place than camp to counteract this alarmingly increasing
emphasis on the material? What better place to encourage the idealism, too
often latent, but still there, in children? Spiritual eyes and ears can be
opened in the midst of God's handiwork.
Someone has said, "Camp provides good growing weather but we
haven't always been good gardeners." The values of camp for a chile
will depend on the skills, the convictions, and the vision of the camp-staf
"gardeners." #
100
MRS. SPEAR is director of camping, Division of Program Services, Camp Fire Girls. It
RECREATION
Physical Fitness is
FUN
WITH SAFE-T-PLAY EQUIPMENT
VARIED ACTIVITIES, not monotony, are needed
to develop and hold the interest and enthusiasm of
students. Unless they enjoy their activities, youngsters
can't fully reap the potential benefits of a physical
education program.
DOZENS OF ENJOYABLE GAMES can be played
indoors with Safe-T-Play equipment: new adaptations
of softball, baseball, hockey, touch football and many
other well liked games that avoid the lethargy of
routine calisthenics.
THE SHORTER FLIGHT AND GREATER SAFETY
of COSOM polyethylene equipment permit entire classes
to take part in active indoor games. These items provide
a happy answer to the indoor physical activity needs of
hundreds of schools and institutions across America.
And, they can for you, too! Find out for yourself.
Investigate the Safe-T-Play line today.
Polo-Hockey and many other exciting games
are played with the Cosom Safe-T-Mallet.
COSOM INDUSTRIES, INC
6020 Wayzata Boulevard
Minneapolis 16, Minn.
Safe-T-Bat and Scoop are combined to bring
outdoor games safely indoors for entire classes.
There is an end-
less variety of
Scoop Ball
games for
every age from
first grade
through high
school.
This helpful new
book is FREE!
Ask your school
supply dealer
or write Cosom
for your copy.
Safe, puncture-proof Fun Football is ideal for touch
and flag games, pass practice and play polishing.
MARCH 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
101
How-to' instruction Rules
Advice of the experts
RONALD
SPORTS BOOKS
From the publishers of
THE RONALD SPORTS LIBRARY
Basebci//-SofffoaM-
Baseball Play and Strategy,
Ethan Allen $5.50
Baseball Techniques Illustrated,
Ethan Allen 2.95
How to Pitch, Bob Feller 2.95
Baseball, Dan Jessee 2.95
Softball, 3rd Ed.,
Arthur T. Noren 2.95
Baskeffaci/f-
The Bee-Norton Basketball Series,
Claire Bee & Ken Norton
5 volumes: S14.75
The Science of Coaching,
2nd Ed. 2.95
Basketball Fundamentals
and Techniques, 2nd Ed. 2.95
Individual and Team
Basketball Drills, 2nd Ed. 2.95
Man-to-Man Defense and
Attack, 2nd Ed. 2.95
Zone Defense and Attack,
2nd Ed. 2.95
Basketball Illustrated,
Howard Hobson 2.95
Basketball Techniques Illustrated,
"Fordy" Anderson 2.95
Football
Fundamental Football,
James "Gib" Holgate 2.95
Offensive Football,
Jordan Olivar 2.95
Touch Football,
John Gromhach 2.95
Football Techniques Illustrated,
Jim Moore 2.95
Six-Man Football, Rev. Ed.,
Ray O. Duncan 2.95
Other Sports-
Tennis for Beginners,
Bill & Chet Murphy 2.95
Tennis Techniques Illustrated,
Wynn Mace 2.95
Modern Bowling Techniques,
Jnnie McMahon &
M. Goodman 2.95
Riding Simplified,
Margaret Cabell Self 2.95
Jumping Simplified,
Margaret Cabell Self 2.95
Golf Illustrated,
Patty Berg & Mark Cox 2.95
Archery, Natalie Reichart &
Gilman Keasey 2.95
Selected Recreation Titles
Recreation Activities for the
Handicapped, Frederick M.
Chapman 5.75
Social Games for Recreation,
2nd Ed., Evelyn Borst &
Elmer D. Mitchell 5.50
Recreation Areas, 2nd Ed.,
George D. Butler. 6.00
Sports for Recreation, Rev. Ed.,
Elmer D. Mitchell et al 6.50
Write for complete list of books in the
Ronald Sports Library
THE RONALD PRESS COMPANY
15 East 26th Street, New York 10
Readers! You are invited to send letters for this page
to Editor, RECREATION, 8 West Eighth Street, Neu
York 11 so that your ideas, opinions and attitudes
nnn he exchanged with others on the wide range of
subjects of concern to us all. Here is your chance to
agree or disagree with the authors of our articles.
Keep letters brief not more than 250 words.
The Editor*
My Child Was Robbed!
Open letter to all camp directors:
I sent my child to camp last summer,
and he was robbed blind! My young-
ster is an ordinary fellow except to his
mother and me.
Like most small boys, his packing
would have consisted of a fishing rod,
a supply of bent pins, a hunting knife,
two or three marbles, and my old army
kit bag. His mother naturally managed
to insert a few nonessentials like clean
socks and underwear, dry shoes. He
thought poorly of them all.
"I'm gonna live in the water all day,"
he stated firmly. "Waddya think I need
clean socks and shoes for?"
He had such high hopes for that
camp. He was going to fish whenever
he wanted, with his bent pins. He was
going to whittle a birdhouse and maybe
a pipe rack for me. He was going to
build a raft and a treehouse, and have
a secret club. He was going to learn
to ride horseback and swing a rope,
like a real cowboy. He was going to
cook his dinner in a billy can and sleep
on a rock. He was even going to swim
across the lake if he felt like it. He'd
learn to use a bow and arrow like Robin
Hood, and his trusty band would be the
scourge of Sherwood. . . .
We assured him that we would not
consider him dead if we didn't hear
from him, but I know his mother
felt a little tearful. Not me, I was
thrilled. Now, for once, the boy was
going to be on his own away from his
parents who naturally were prejudiced
in his favour away from TV and the
predigested books, away from the radio
and incessant canned music away
from everything that was turning him
into a little vegetable.
What happened? We aren't too sure.
The director doesn't seem aware that
there was anything unusual about Jim's
summer. He looks wonderful tanned,
strong, and an inch taller. His appetite
is lugger than one would believe possi-
ble. Who knows what happened?
"Did you get to play Robin Hood?"
we asked.
"Well, yeah, but there was this coun-
selor, see, who was in charge of archery
and he said we always had to be very
careful when we were shooting, so we
did it all to numbers. Then he arranged
a big tournament and made a lot of lists
and put them on the bulletin board, but
I dunno. we didn't seem to want to
much. I think he was mad, sort of.
Then the counselors put on a demon-
stration of how you should shoot, but
me and Skinny went fishing. And heck,
was there ever a row! Mac said we
weren't cooperating."
"Did you make your birdhouse and
the pipe rack?" we asked again.
"Yeah, they had a dandy craft shop
with a whole lot of power tools. Course,
they were pretty dangerous, so the coun-
selors used them. When we wanted
something cut we took it to the guy in
charge of crafts and he did it for u<.
They had a lot of leatherburning stuff.
too, with a little kit with pictures al-
ready on the stuff."
"How about the tripping?" we ai-knl
a little tentatively. "Good food, I bet."
"Yeah, it was all right, but the second
day out it started to rain and Mac came
and got us in the truck. The first night
out me and Skinny caught some fish ami
wanted to eat them but the counselor
said we were having some of the jilh-
pack stuff you add water to and that
we'd better not cook the fish. I kept
mine for awhile but it started to stink,
so I threw it out."
"\\hal iliil you like best at camp?"
we tried again.
"The swimming, you bet. Really got
my dive good and they passed im le>t.
Skinny couldn't dive so good but tlie\
passed him too 'cause he wanted to go
on the trip and he couldn't without his
swimming test. Kinda corny, after I'd
worked so hard on mine."
"Did you manage to build \<>ur raft
and your treehouse?"
"Yeah, well, see, the raft wouldn't
work cause the swim area was all rojx-d
102
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECREATION
off and that was the only safe place to
have it. But we built a dandy treehouse.
The counselor did all the hard parts like
the roof and around the windows, but
we carried the boards and sent them up
to him on a rope thing he'd rigged up.
But we didn't play in it much. . . ."
Faint, but pursuing, we tried once
more, "The riding was a big success,
though, wasn't it?"
"Oh gosh, that was real good fun.
We had to get up early when we were
on stable duty and turn the horses out
for water. Then we mucked out the
stables and put clean bedding down.
Then we fed the horses and cleaned
them and cleaned tack. Say, did you
know there were twenty-two parts to a
bridle and they all had to come to
pieces? We had to know all about feed-
ing and care of horses, too. Bill made
us take notes, and. at the end, we had
a quiz and I came second. Those of us
who got highest marks got to groom
the horses for the big show the last
Saturday."
"Weren't you riding in the show?"
we inquired.
"Heck no, I wasn't good enough for
that. But I sure learned a lot about
horses and I want a book for my birth-
day on care and feeding of horses."
"Any wild animals up there?" we
asked.
"Well, I dunno. We saw a couple
of tracks and wanted to follow them,
but our bunk was supposed to be at
canoeing so we couldn't. I looked them
up in a book and the guy started telling
me all about them, but when I went back
to find them they were gone. We saw
a deer once, but we were on our way
to flag raising so we had to hurry. Us
kids had been late three times in a
row. and if we'd been late again we
wouldn't have got to the movies. . . ."
"Movies?" we asked faintly.
"Yeah, you know, Westerns and stuff
like that there. They were keen. We
had 'em every Saturday and whenever
it rained. And speaking of rain, feel
my muscle. I got that building a wall
down near the beach. We had this great
flood one day, see, and half the bank
started washing away, so some of us got
out there in our bathing suits and
started tossing rocks into the holes.
We were having a good time, but of
course we could only do the rock part.
Mac got some guys from the village and
they resodded and planted trees and
filled in the rocks with cement."
The director phoned this spring to
see if Jim was going back to camp. We
asked Jim and he looked doubtful.
"I dunno," he said slowly, "I think
I'd like to go to a ranch this summer
where they have a horse for every kid
and you do all your own work and look
after the horses and clean stables, and
mend fences and all that kind of thing."
"It's pretty hard work," we count-
ered, "and they don't have all the other
things you have at camp. No water-
skiing, no sailing, crafts, or riflery."
"Yeah, I know," he answered thought-
fully, "but I think you might really get
to learn something. Do you think I
could, Dad? Skinny wants to, too."
Perhaps, I thought. Perhaps here,
too, they might rob him blind. But it
was surely worth a try. JOYCE BER-
TRAM, director, Camp Quareau, Quebec.
Condensed with permission, from Cana-
dian Camping, June 1959.
Outdoor Nature Classrooms
Sirs:
Your magazine is doing a fine job,
but I would like to see more articles on
"outdoor nature classrooms." Our
county is just embarking into the field
of buying land for forest preserves. Our
little grade school just built a new
school on a virgin twenty acres, and we
intend to landscape the grounds and
create an outdoor nature classroom as
we have natural logs and can acquire all
the trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and
mosses native to this area. We have al-
ready started a community landscaping
project and planted some shrubs and
bulbs so as to have spring flowers. If
any of your readers have started an out-
door nature classroom we would like
to know just what they have done or are
doing to create more interest in our
natural surroundings.
I was born in Chicago, in 1886, and
enjoyed the woods around Chicago as
a boy before Chicago and Cook County
acquired their now famous forest pre-
serves. I know the value of forest pre-
serves as recreational areas. As a 4-H
leader and Boy Scout counselor in
forestry, I realize that if more state and
communities do not plan on buying up
our native woods soon, they will for-
ever lose what God gave us to conserve.
Thousands of nature lovers travel
miles to visit the Morton Arboretum
at Lisle, Illinois, or Whitnall Park at
Hales Corner, Wisconsin, made avail-
able by folks who had foresight enough
to save these wonderful spots so our
citizens can enjoy them.
WILLIAM R. LAECHELT, R. R. 2, Box
42, Mundelein, Illinois.
iseo
I I I 1 I 1 l< ' *
You can raise $ 500
or more in 6 days
this easy way
Sell famous Mason
Candies and in 4 to 15 days
your group can make
$300 to $2,500
For complete information fill in and mail
us the coupon shown. If you decide to go
ahead you don't risk a cent, you pay noth-
ing in advance. We supply on consignment
your choice of FOUR VARIETIES of famous
Mason Candy. At no extra charge each
package is wrapped with a hand printed
with your organization's name and picture.
You pay after you have sold the candy and
return what you don't sell. Candy is sold
at less than regular retail price. You make
$12.00 on every 30 sales of our $1.00 box
(66%% profit to you on cost). There's no
risk! You can't lose. Mail in coupon today
f(ir information about MASON'S PROTECTED
FUND RAISING DRIVES.
Mr. KDVVIN STOYE, Dept. RM-3
Mason, Box 549, Mineola, N.Y.
Gentlemen: Please send me, without
obligation, information on your Fund
Raising Plan.
Name
Age if under 21
Address
Organization
Phone_
City_
_State_
Mason Candies, Inc., Mineola, L. I., N.Y.
MARCH 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
103
WHEREVER
CHILDREN PLAY
Recreation equipment with
engineered safety to meet
the most rigid requirements.
> Playground Equipment
Indoor Basketball Backstops
> Swimming Pool Equipment
Literature for each line avail-
able on request please specify.
DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED
RECREATION
EQUIPMENT CORP
Dept. R160 724 W. 8th St.
Anderson, Indiana
Eliminate old fashioned
basket checking
REDUCE PAYROLLS
Modern, serve-self Sentinel Lockers
do away with old-style bags and
baskets, prevent pilfering and rid
you of the risk of custody liability.
Patrons like the improved serv-
ice, too. No standing in line, more
privacy and higher security for
clothes and other personal pos-
sessions.
Coin-and-key operated lockers
mean a big increase in your rev-
enue as well as payroll savings . . .
enough to pay for the investment
over and over again.
Now is the time to get the com-
plete Sentinel story ... there's no
obligation. Write . . .
SENTINEL
COIN-AND-KEY
OPERATED CHECKING SYSTEMS
THE FLXIBLE COMPANY
LOUDONVILLE, OHIO
Sfaudtt
IMPORTANT
READERS ARE ASKED to answer the
following important questions: (a)
What is your thinking in regard to
the most useful type of publications
workshop for our National Congress
in Washington? Would you attend
an editors' problem clinic? A train-
ing session? (b) Do you publish
any kind of printed material? An-
nual report? Promotion fliers? Bul-
letins? Programs? If so, please
send us the name of publications,
name of editor and length of his
term in this capacity, and address.
We are making up a mailing list so
that people working on publications
can exchange information, sample
products, get help.
Please send your answer to Dorothy
Donaldson, Secretary, National Ad-
visory Committee on Publication of
Recreation Materials.
> COMING NEXT MONTH! Your annual
Playground Issue of RECREATION, with
new playground ideas "bustin out all
over." See that all members of your
staff have their own copy, if they don't
now subscribe. ORDER NOW. Use as a re-
source in your playground planning
and in training playground leaders.
Supplement with your playground is-
sues of last year and the year before
that. They are still good.
I NEW ATLAS WILL LIST CAMPGROUNDS.
Initial printing of a new publication to
be called Campground Atlas, said to be
the first of its kind to include all fifty
states, as well as the provinces of Can-
ada, is scheduled to come off press on
April 1, 1960. One hundred and sixty
information-packed pages will cover
over 5,500 campgrounds, including fed-
eral, state, county, municipal, and pri-
vately owned; numbered and keyed to
index of states and provinces; gives
detailed directions for reaching each
campground.
Coauthors are staff members of a
well-known state university. Price will
be $3.50 and includes all shipping costs.
Order by sending cash, check, or money
order to Alpine Geographical Press,
Pre-Order Department 21, Station A,
Champaign, Illinois.
> LOOKING AHEAD to Library Week in
April, are your plans for observations
completed? Do you promote reading
as recreation, use it as background or
springboard to program? Well-known
educator Hughes Mearns, points out in
his book Creative Poiver, The Educa-
tion of Youth in the Creative Arts,"
"Reading, including the dramatization
that goes with reading, silent or openly
played, is one of the important foods of
the creative life."
> THE CONFERENCE FOR NATIONAL CO-
OPERATION IN AQUATICS, of which the
National Recreation Association is a
member, is conducting a Study of Suc-
cessfully Revived Water Cases (per-
sons recovered from the water who are
unconscious and not breathing and are
ultimately revived). The objective: to
gather information (a) on the efficacy
of various methods of artificial respira-
tion, (b) a more effective way of rescue,
(c) that could be utilized for mass safe-
ty education.
Carefully prepared questionnaires
have been developed for use in the
study. One is intended for the rescued
drowning victim; the other is to be used
by the rescuer. An attempt will he made
to secure information on a worldwide
basis. Readers of RECREATION or NRA
members who have any knowledge of
instances of successfully revived water
cases are requested to participate. Ad-
ditional information about the study
and questionnaire forms may be ob-
tained from Richard L. Brown, Amer-
ican National Red Cross, 18th and E
Streets, N.W., Washington 13, D. C.
> TlIE 14TH ANNUAL SHORT COURSE for
editors is announced for state commis-
sioners, directors, editors, by Oklahoma
State University, from March 21 to 26,
1960. A separate section will be main-
tained for conservation editors. The
conservation section includes intensive
study of problems peculiar to the edit-
ing of conservation magazines. It will
be headed by Bruce Kilgore, editor of
* Dover Publications, (Rev. ed.), paper,
tl.50.
104
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECREATION
National Parks Magazine and assistant
o the executive secretary of the Na-
ional Parks Association, Washington,
). C.
WANTED: News and stories about any
mique or "different" program gimmick
r equipment that you used in your
Halloween program last year or are
banning to use this year. Deadlines:
klay 1 or June 1 our deadlines for the
September and October issues of REC-
tEATiON. Please be sure to enclose
;ood, clear, glossy photographs illus-
rating your story. Good pictures liven
ip an article or news note.
' NEW EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT of
Ceep America Beautiful is Al'en H.
Seed, Jr., assistant director of the Na-
ional Municipal League for the past ten
fears, and former president of the Na-
ional Association of Civic Secretaries.
A REMINDER THAT the White House
Conference on Children and Youth
neets at the invitation of President Ei-
senhower March 27 to Anril 2. 1960.
Vn entire section will be devoted to the
iroblems of "youth in conflict."
> IN SESSION THIS MONTH: American
Damping Association National Conven-
ion, California Masonic Temple, San
Francisco, March 2 to 5, 1960. This
narks the fiftieth anniversary of service
3y the American Camping Association.
Congratulations ACA!
> PLEASE SEND A COPY of your annual
report to the National Recreation Asso-
ciation every year. We look forward to
seeing these. We use them! Do you
remember us?
> MANUSCRIPTS FOR RECREATION MAG-
VZINE : Please send us the original typed
;opy of your article, not a carbon ; and
ion't forget to enclose a stamped, self-
addressed envelope if you want it re-
turned in case it is not used.
> DID YOU KNOW THAT your camp-
counselor training can earn college
credit? Would you be interested in
having a college faculty man act as a
resource person at your training ses-
sions? If so, read Robert W. Harlan's
article in the January 1960 Camping
Magazine.
ARE YOU ONE OF THE PEOPLE who
has picked up Bob Kresge's splendid
idea of having your playground con-
tribute to the Joseph Lee Fund? If
so, congratulations! This is the time
of year to be thinking about it again,
for 1960. ( For details see RECREA-
TION, April 1958, Page 109) .
How to Play
and Teach
VOLLEYBALL
J. EDMUND WELCH,
Editor
World's third most pop-
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RICHARD H.
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similar books, the information is practical,
adaptable. Illustrated, Large Format. $7.50
STAGING
SUCCESSFUL
TOURNAMENTS
E. DOUGLAS
BOYDEN & ROGER
G. BURTON
' How to select, plan and
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MARCH 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
105
What are camper hopes and
dreams? Do our camp programs
fulfill them adequately?
THE FOUR TV
OF CAMPING
Julian H. Salomon
IN CAMPING WE are trying to accomplish two basic aims :
to give boys and girls a chance to do some of the things
they like to do in ways they like to do them; and,
through these activities, to instill qualities and awaken new
interests in our campers to help them lead happier and more
abundant lives. We need to remember that, while these are
compatible, they represent camping from the points of view
of the child and of the adult which are, of course, quite
different. As a Boy Scout camper is said to have remarked,
"Gee, chief, I didn't come to camp to have my character
built."
Camping has such a strong appeal to youth that some
adults have taken advantage of it and have used the name
as a sort of bait to attract boys and girls to programs,
which, while they may have worthy motives, having noth-
ing in common with learning how to live simply in the out-
of-doors. We have lost some of our older campers because
they did not find in the camps they first attended the things
they expected, among which are opportunities for freedom
and challenging adventure. In altogether too many cases,
these so-called camps are far removed from what children
have been promised and hope to find in places called by the
magic name of camp.
All too often we forget that boys or girls who have never
been to camp have some pretty clear ideas as to what a real
camp is like and what they want to do when they get there.
Fortunately, these things are not difficult or expensive to
provide. They do, however, require a director with a love
of young people, who is gifted with a lively imagination.
What are some of the things a camper expects of the
camp and why do we think it worth while to provide them?
First of all, there are the basic experiences; the desire for
which grows out of our American historical background.
Tales of Indians and pioneers and their adventuresome and
romantic ways of life are heard at an early age and make
a strong appeal to the child's imagination. These people
lived in the out-of-doors and in camps. The children hear
MR. SALOMON is a landscape architect, camp consultant, and
planner, and a member oj both the American Camping As-
sociation and the American Society of Landscape Architects.
106
stories about them when they are very young and look for-
ward to doing likewise as they grow older. What they want
to do when they get to camp is to build a fire, cook a meal
over it, and sleep out in a tent or in the open. Unfortu-
nately, many children go to places called camps where op-
portunities to do these things never occur.
Now, beyond these simple basic experiences, there are
other things the campers expect of a camp, but which they
may never directly mention. These camper hopes and de-
sires may be called the four "Ps." They are: fun and
adventure, freedom, fellowship, and food for the spirit.
Outdoor fun and adventure come first because the camper
expects to find opportunities for a number of new and joy-
ful experiences in camp. He wants to be a part of nature
and to pit himself against the elements. He wants, as far
as it is possible to do so today, to relive the life of the
Indian and pioneer. He would like the camp to give him
the opportunity to become an expert woodsman. He wants
his experiences to be real, and this becomes particularly
important as he gets older. It is the director's and the
counselor's job to discover ways of giving him his chance
to have real adventures and to have them safely.
Now, there are always some parents and board members
who will question the value of such things as woodcraft and
camping skills. They will say, "How can such activities
possibly prepare a camper for the urban civilisation in
which he will have to live? Are you not, in your camp-
craft, Indian lore, and nature study, providing an environ-
ment that belongs to the primitive past and an escape from
the realities of present-day life?"
One of the most valid objectives of camping is education
for leisure time. As industrial progress provides more and
more free time, and when the increasing demand for self-
directed activity during leisure is raising a multitude of
problems, the kind of education a real camp can give is
most urgently needed.
Family camping is now one of the most popular \aration
forms for our young adults and even older ones. The case
of automobile travel is turning so many people to the out-
of-doors that national and state parks and forests aiv lia\ ing
a hard time keeping up with demand for camping facili-
RECREATION
ties. Perhaps a minor, but certainly not unimportant, value
of these activities is the training they give in survival skills
we hope we will never need.
While practical values like these are easy to understand,
it is the hidden ones that lie in learning to swim, building
campfires, hiking through the woods, learning to know
birds, flowers, and trees that develop the power of the
imagination. For the child who has had these experiences,
life has been broadened and enriched.
School and camp are both concerned with a child's edu-
cation, but there is a difference in the way they work to-
ward their objectives. The education he receives in school
is largely a matter of books, formal instruction, and class-
rooms. Camping, on the other hand, has to do with living
out-of-doors and physical activity. Schooling takes place
indoors and is, or should be, mostly hard work. While
there is, or should be, hard work in camp, it is part of the
fun of living and learning to live in the open. Efforts to
combine the two types of education have failed so far to
obtain broad acceptance or success.
Though camping is different from formal schooling, it
is not less important, and this is a fact we need continually
to impress upon the American parent. He has given his
children great freedom from responsibility and a great
amount of leisure. He then worries about how they are
going to spend it. Camp is one of the places where children
can learn to make wise use of leisure and have a lot of fun
in the learning process. Education for the use of leisure
time is one of the most important services the camp can
perform.
Freedom is something else the camper wants, needs, and
should have freedom from worry, hurry, and envy. This
freedom should be granted in broad degree. Freedom, of
course, does not imply anarchy. The freedom we want for
ourselves, others also want, so freedom in camp implies and
demands a respect for the rights of others. So, in camp,
freedom will be granted within broad limits; it will be well
regulated but it will be real.
The camper should be free to select activities and to do
what he wants without explaining why. He should have
opportunities to participate in large and small group ac-
tivities, but he should also have a chance to do things with
one or two other campers or by himself. He should also
have time just to "do nothing." This freedom to exercise
the power of choice is essential to character building.
Campers should have freedom to participate in program
planning and in camp government. A preplanned program,
devised entirely by grownups, is generally not good for the
campers. Certainly it is not, if campers are directed from
one activity to another in which they need do no thinking
and get no opportunity to exercise choice or judgment.
Camper participation in planning should begin in the tent
or cabin group and continue, both in the unit or section
and the entire camp, through camper representation on a
camp council or similar program planning group. Further
opportunities for choice and planning should be given in
daily section assemblies or similar meetings.
The camp that operates in an atmosphere of freedom will
not need coercion to get a good response from the campers.
The campers will readily respond to a program that is
really based on their own interests. These interests, in
turn, will be aroused and expanded by a campsite that pre-
sents a rich and stimulating environment. The fact that
the camper comes into a place differing sharply from city
and home is bound to evoke a great number of new interests.
There should be a time and place where these may be al-
lowed to develop, but this cannot be if the program is so
regimented that every moment has been planned for in
advance.
We also need to provide more freedom from the city
its games and sports, TV, and spectator amusements. Over-
emphasis on city sports unwisely limits the development of
of new camping interests, such as campcraft. nature, canoe-
ing, mountain climbing, archery, sailing, fishing, tracking,
and scouting games. Such formal games and sports as we
have should be aimed at helping the beginner become pro-
ficient enough to enjoy participation on a par with his fel-
low campers. Those sports the camper can carry over into
later life are the ones to be developed. Camps should not
attempt to develop stars or teams whose main purpose is to
defeat other camps. Such devices as "color wars," that de-
velop tensions and intense competition, have no place in
a well-run camp.
We know from Sanders' famous study that a camp's
Two important "F's" the camper wants are fellowship and food for the spirit.
?
4TV
Campers should have freedom to help plan their own pro-
gram, freedom from hurry. There should be no need for
haste in the woods. Camp provides scope for self-direction.
greatest failure lies in the possibility of overstrain and
overfatigue. The parent whose first concern on sending
his child to camp is health and safety may not realize that
he is defeating that basic concern by demanding competi-
tive emphasis and the artificial stimulation that goes with
the awareness of many prizes. Freedom from worry about
not making the grade, freedom from hurry to keep up with
the schedule, and freedom from envy of the champion and
prize winner these are the freedoms campers want and
need.
Really, the third "F" would be first, had I not been con-
sidering these questions from the camper's point of view.
For the fellowship the camper is asking us to provide is not
only that with his fellow campers, but that with the staff.
This, of course, implies good leadership, which we all rec-
ognize as the most important ingredient in the camping
recipe. Without the right kind of leadership, opportunities
for the development of new and continuing interests would
never occur. Unless there are leaders truly and lovingly
interested in children and with enthusiasm for the out-of-
doors, the whole effort fails. If, when the camper asks
questions, there is not a counselor or director present who
has a keen interest in trees and trails, and who can help
him find the answers, it is only natural that he will turn
away to basketball or baseball as a time killer.
We get a pretty good picture of the kind of adult leader-
ship the camper wants from the Study of Adolescent Boys
made by the University of Michigan for the Boy Scouts of
America. Although the leaders came from various walks
of life, had different degrees of education, and were of
varied trades, professions, and ages, they all possessed four
traits the boys admired. They said (1) "He's a nice guy,"
(2) "He understands us," (3) "He can do things," and (4)
"He has good character."
Both director and counselor should be enthusiastic out-
doorsmen who get a sense of adventure from their camping
experience. They need to be healthy in mind and body and
possessed of the abundant energy camp life demands. Un-
derstanding the physical and emotional needs of the camp-
ers, they will provide ample opportunities for boys to use
their own initiative and carry out their own plans. The
camp leaders will try to understand the child's inner drives
and be prepared to guide them.
The possibilities for real fellowship between staff and
camper depend partly on the size of the camp and its liv-
ing units or sections. Effectiveness diminishes when any
one counselor is given the responsibility for more than
eight campers, and when the camp staff is so big that the
director has little or no personal contact with the campers.
The influence of the director pervades the whole camp and
is more important than any other kind of education.
As the camper seeks and desires the fellowship and ap-
proval of his counselor and director, so does he also want
that of his fellow campers. Camp is an ideal place to learn
how to establish satisfactory relationships with one's fel-
lows, and the small tent group is the ideal "class" for teach-
ing the subject. Here, the camper finds out that the business
of living is chiefly a matter of getting along with other
people. Here, he soon realizes that social techniques can
be learned and that one way to learn them is to do his job
in such a way that it wins the approval of his group. Thus,
the group molds and forms a boy's way of reacting te so-
cial situations.
The boy from the city apartment or from a small family
does not have the same opportunity for learning these les-
sons of unselfishness, fair play, and good sportsmanship as
did his grandfather, who may have been from a large old-
fashioned, country-dwelling family. He may also miss the
lessons that are taught by older and younger brothers and
sisters. This, by the way, points to an advantage earlier
camps possessed, which we might once again provide. That
was the practice of having older and younger boys in the
same section, because they have so much to contribute to
each other in the matter of social adjustment.
The counselor's job is helping campers establish the
right relationship to other campers, to teach them high
standards of honesty, and develop in them the spirit of
cooperation with others. One of the best ways to develop
cooperation is through sharing in the work of maintaining
the camp. Each camper should have regular chores or other-
wise participate in the necessary work of the camp. This
is most important as a means of developing self-respect and
self-reliance, based on a person's real worth to the com-
munity.
There is no doubt that most boys prefer play to work,
but it is the business of the camp to keep their interests
balanced. In many camps, everything is done to keep the
campers excited over athletics, but very little is done to get i
them to assume their share of the work. We must reco^ni/e
that the camper needs to learn to take responsibility and to
become independent, through doing his share, just as much
as he needs team play.
With the introduction of modern machines and methods,
we have done away with many of the jobs, such as dishwash-
ing, that were once shared by the campers. It is, I suppose,
all a part of the softening process that stems from the \in.-i i
can parent's desire to make a child's life easier than his <>\\n
has been. But in so doing, he weakens rather than strength
ens the ability to withstand life's bufferings. As is \\oll
108
RECREATION
tnown, in every biological process, "too much may be as
Fatal to life's prosperity as too little."
The camper looks to the camp to provide food for the
spirit, too ; and here we have one of our finest opportunities.
The good camp stresses not only the physical but, perhaps
even more emphatically, moral, esthetic, and spiritual train-
ng. In camp we have endless opportunities to develop ap-
weciation for all that is noble, fine, and beautiful through
quiet hours around the campfire, upon the mountain tops,
under the stars, and on still waters. There are opportunities,
oo, to develop a deepened appreciation for good music,
>ooks, and the other arts.
Yet we find camps that assume a hard-boiled attitude
oward the lover of the beautiful as a sissy, where cultural
appreciation is looked upon as a form of intellectual snob-
wry. In these places, there is hesitancy in providing beauty
and food for the spirit. In such places, we are apt to find
ugly buildings, tents or cabins lined up in martial array.
It is the site and structures, as well as the leaders, that
reate the atmosphere and spirit of the camp. The physical
urroundings have a more profound effect on the formation
f a camper's attitudes and culture than we might at first
ssume. We need, therefore, to create camp environment
lat will enrich spiritual values. Certainly, sensitiveness
o beauty, in all its forms, will develop more easily where
lere is a sense of order, spaciousness, and simplicity.
The manner in which campers live and carry on their
activities also has much to do with the growth of the spirit.
Mass activities, crowded dining halls, and constant com-
petition create tension. Though everyone may seem to be
quite happy, the real test is in the raised voices, the con-
stant fidgetings and bickerings.
We have spoken of the camp as a community and the
values of living in the small groups that comprise it, but
now we need, again, to consider the individual. The group
and the team are important, but we have come to realize
that they are made up of individuals, and that the group
possesses no strengths or virtues that are not inherent in
its individual members. In camp, every individual is en-
titled to a sense of privacy and the freedom to grow in his
own way. We already have too many other influences
that are pushing today's youth to achieve safety, security,
and conformity as the basic values of life.
Henry David Thoreau, who is one of our great prophets
of simple outdoor life, says in Walden or Life in the Woods :
"Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed,
and in such desperate enterprises? If a man does not keep
pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a
different drummer. Let him step to the music which he
hears, however measured or far away."
Youth is asking camping to provide for his needs and to
fulfill his dreams. It is a challenge that camping has suc-
cessfully met in its past, and one that should be the guide
to an ever-growing and greater future. #
CAMPFIRE PROGRAMS
~\NE OR TWO campfires per week is
*-^ the recommendation for all camps
nd an everynight campfire for the
mall group. These should be carefully
banned, with aims clearly in mind.
Campfire time is the most precious
noment of the day, an ideal time for
;etting across the major goals of the
amp, and the little objectives or spe-
al emphasis for the day. At it we aim
or joy, a new experience, a widening
: interests, growth of character, in-
)iration, the unleashing of the shy,
losed-up camper. It can spark the
reative urge, bring about relaxation
nd a readiness for sleep, a peace of
ind.
The fire should be laid in advance
never with trash) and covered with a
iece of canvas to keep it dry. There
lould be room for each camper to sit,
nd extra firewood stacked nearby.
his is true for the overnight trip camp-
re as well. Never have a bonfire nor
*rve food at the all-camp campfire. Go
ARCH 1960
to it quietly and with respect. Always
begin the same way.
Start, perhaps, with a ceremony or
special song; have games and noisy
things near the beginning; and end
with soft songs, lullabies, perhaps a
prayer, a special hand squeeze. Go
quietly to bed with only whispers, no
talking.
The small group campfire should be
located very near sleeping quarters and
children attend in night clothes, all
ready for bed. In the small group (one
tent or one bunk), each camper feels
the warmth of the fire, and has a chance
to contribute. Often the camper will
open up as never before. The autobio-
graphical night for the small group
campfire is excellent. Each tells what
home is like and "who I am," and this
includes the counselors, too.
One night you might have a special
event: a guest to talk to teen-agers on
their own vocation (for example, the
nurse) . Another campfire might be held
after the counselor had collected written
questions for a week from the campers,
about things they want discussed. And
then, on the appointed time, the coun-
selor draws one question out of the jar,
reads it and answers it; then another
question, and another; perhaps on dat-
ing or sex, or "what's wrong with my
parents?" Or the counselor might dis-
cuss problems of the group itself. One
evening the teen-agers might, if the
leader is tops, try to evaluate them-
selves.
Campfires form a large part of the
campers' memory of the summer. It has
been recommended that this not be a
time for awarding honors, but for en-
couraging the feeling of togetherness.
A closing quotation : "To his fireside
he brought his friends, and friendships
grew, and understanding. So hearth be-
came home, and it has little changed
over the centuries. What deeper under-
standing is there than that which stands
back to hearth, and faces outer cold and
darkness?" Presented by Lois GOOD-
RICH, 1959 American Camping Associa-
tion Region II Convention.
109
ST. PAU
Not very large but very tasty are the fish caught at one
of the St. Paul Bureau of Parks and Recreation day camps.
Robert A. Lobdell
THE "TwiN CITIES" of Minnesota Minneapolis and
St. Paul form the nucleus of a large metropolitan
area, including a number of suburbs, with a total pop-
ulation of some million and a half persons. These cities have
produced many outstanding leaders in the field of parks
and recreation, names that have found their way into the
history of our movement: Theodore Wirth, Charles Doell,
Karl Raymond, Ernest Johnson, and W. LaMont Kaufman.
In St. Paul, recreation was developed by two separate
bureaus one, parks, and one, playgrounds. From 1919
to 1955, Ernest W. Johnson served as guiding hand of the
playground bureau. His sound concepts and knowledge of
recreation brought St. Paul to a position of prominence in
the Midwest. His constant hammering on basic principles,
without succumbing to internal pressures, paved the way
for public support in the 1953 bond program.
St. Paul is a city with an estimated population of 330,000.
It has a commission form of government, with a city coun-
cil of six elected members presided over by a mayor. A
comptroller is elected to handle the financial aspects of the
municipal operation. All elected officials serve a two-year
term. The city council meets each day, Tuesday through
Friday. Each elected council member is appointed by the
mayor as the commissioner of a department of city govern-
ment. It is a full-time job, and the elected officials consider
it as such.
The tax structure of the city is unique; some critics even
label it archaic. It is categorized as a per capita limitation
type. The municipal charter provides two basic limitations
in financial operation. First, there is a limitation in the
amount that can be levied for taxes, based on the total popu-
lation or per capita basis. Second, there is the limitation
MR. LOBDELL is general manager of the Bureau of Parks and
Recreation in St. Paul, Minnesota. The general manager's
job, recently established by city ordinance, is to coordinate
all activities of the newly consolidated bureau.
110
that all municipal expenditures cannot exceed so many dol-
lars per capita. The first limitation, of course, is lower,
and the difference must be made up from revenues such as
license and permit fees. To change the limitation figures,
requires a charter amendment submitted to the voters. In
1959. the state legislature amended the city charter (don't
forget the city is only a creature of the state) . This changed
the required percentage of yes votes for charter amendment
from sixty percent to fifty-five percent.
On the other hand, it merely takes a simple majority to
pass a bond issue. The irony of this situation was demon-
strated at a special election in November 1959. Two issues
were proposed to the voters: one for a $23,500,000 bond
issue for school capital improvement, needing only a simple
majority. The second proposal was a charter amendment
that would have increased the current operation budget by
about $1,750.000. This amendment needed fifty-five per-
cent of the yes votes to pass. What happened? The bond
issue for $23,500,000 received fifty-five percent of the yes
votes and the charter amendment for $1,750,000 received
50.3 percent of the yes votes. The bond issue passed; the
charter amendment failed.
Immediate financing for capital school improvements and
current operation costs was submitted to the electorate
following the war. As in all cities, increased financing does
not come easily. The dire need for public school expansion
and upgrading was sold to the voting public. This was just
the beginning. By 1953, a united improvement committee
had surveyed the needs of all municipal operations and pro-
posed a $39,000,000 capital-outlay program. After an out-
standing job of public salesmanship by all leading organ-
izations in the citv. it was successfully passed bv the voting
public.
Progress and accomplishment have been the theme of the
recreation movement in St. Paul's recent history. The bone
issue of 1953 helped provide a means for renovating ok
areas and the development of new to meet the new challenge
of the 1950's. The bond program played a secondary rol<
in the overall capital improvement program for recreatiot
facilities. The real contributing factor to our program cam.
from an unforeseen windfall.
At the end of World War II, as in all cities, the nee
for veterans' housing was acute. Through tho foro-iiilit
people like Commissioner Holland and Superintended o
Recreation Ernie Johnson, lands that reverted back t.. tin
state because of tax delinquency and that were suitabl.- i-
recreation purposes, were acquired by the playground bu
reau as tax-forfeited properties. Officials kn.-w fund- w.-i
not available for development in the fon-.val.l.- futuro. bn
the old axiom that real estate was a good im^tmont pei
suaded them to take advantage of llu- -imation.
When sites were needed immediately for veterans' hous
RECRKATIO:
^VITALIZED
The challenge of the 50' s provided
a firm foundation for the 60' s.
ing, the playground bureau said: "Have sites, will build."
Result: seven veterans' housing areas constructed and op-
erated by the bureau until, by 1956, there was no longer
any need for the project. The state legislature enacted a
statute providing that all profits from the veterans' housing
operation should be used to develop the sites into recreation
areas, and that additional funds could be used for capital
improvement throughout the playground system. Approx-
imately one million dollars were forthcoming from this
source.
Facts and figures are boring but sometimes necessary
to illustrate accomplishment. The following is a cold, hard
list of projects completed from the combined bond funds
to help in the operation of the new recreation center.
Another windfall came from the public housing author-
ity's urban renewal program. Two park and playground
areas will be financed and developed and turned over to
our bureau at no cost. There is a tremendous future in this
area of development as the urban renewal program gains
headway.
Perhaps the most significant development of the past few
years is the new thinking as to use of school buildings for
community recreation. Since 1950, the school board has
established an "open door" policy for the recreation bu-
reau to use public school facilities. The bureau uses these
schools in three different categories: to supplement regular
This is one of the eleven seasonal
recreation shelter buildings
recently constructed with bond
issue funds. Cooperative agree-
ments have created other facilities.
and veterans' housing project profits for the playground
bureau (which does not include the park bureau) : four
year-round recreation center buildings; eleven seasonal
recreation shelter buildings; nine new playground areas,
including excavating, landscaping, apparatus, and fields;
thirty new hard-surface tennis courts; twenty new lighted
hockey rinks (making a total of forty-five) ; eighty new
baseball and Softball backstops; fifteen old recreation center
buildings and grounds renovated; and an eight-battery
shuffleboard court with lights.
An interesting innovation in the construction of year-
round recreation centers came about as the result of an
agreement between the recreation bureau and the St. Paul
Public Housing Authority. The authority wanted to de-
velop a low-rent housing area in one of the blighted dis-
tricts near the downtown loop. The bureau had an old
dilapidated recreation center and grounds directly across
from the proposed housing area. After much negotiating,
a formal agreement was reached whereby the housing au-
thority would construct a new recreation center on its prop-
erty, with the bureau paying half the cost. In turn, the
bureau received a long-term lease on the completed struc-
ture at a dollar a year. The most unusual part of the pact
was that the housing authority would reimburse the bureau
for one-third the cost of utilities in the operation of the
building. In Minnesota, with long, cold winters, heat is
a big budget item ; hence this was a very lucrative contract
year-round centers; to serve as recreation centers in areas
where the bureau does not have facilities; and for the op-
eration of the indoor municipal athletics program. During
1959, the bureau used thirty-six public school buildings in
these three categories. The bureau operates twenty-five
year-round, full-time centers, and fourteen seasonal centers,
thirty-one weeks a year, in addition to the thirty-six school
buildings.
St. Paul's final effort to meet the new challenge has been
the consolidation of the three separate bureaus of parks,
playgrounds, and refectories into a single St. Paul Bureau
of Parks and Recreation. This became effective last Octo-
ber. Such a combined operation will give more service for
the tax dollar. Why don't you come to St. Paul and see how
we are meeting the challenge? #
St. Paul will serve as host to the Great Lakes Dis-
trict Recreation Conference conducted jointly by the
National Recreation Association, the Bureau of Parks
and Recreation of the city of St. Paul, and the Minne-
sota Recreation Association, on April 4-7 this year.
Bernard T. Holland, commissioner of parks and rec-
reation, extends a warm invitation to delegates.
MARCH 1960
111
DAY CAMP PATTERNS
This roundup of current activity in the day camp field
throughout the country shows what's new in program, facil-
ities, standards, and, above all, ideas new ways of looking
at day camping and what it can do for the child who par-
ticipates.
Day camping has steadily grown since its inception dur-
ing the early days of the Works Progress Administration
(remember the WPA?). Development was fragmentary,
standards almost nonexistent, program elementary, but,
year by year, day camping has improved in facilities,
standards, and program. It would be naive to suggest that
improvement is still not needed; in many instances, stand-
ards are still minimal and programs too simple-minded, but
maturity is on its way.
Among varying emphases in the notes that follow, each
adds a new dimension in day camping. Note: An outstand-
ingly popular facet of all these day camps was the presence
of animals of all kinds. For your convenience, we are also
including a digest of American Camping Association stand-
ards for day camps. Happy camping!
AT THE Farm and Country Day Camp, near Albany,
New York, location and conditions practically dic-
tate the program. First of all, it is an operating farm
of 150 acres, with fields tilled, animals pastured and cared
for, and also contains a forty-acre woodlot where timber
and firewood are taken out. In addition, two streams pro-
vide swimming holes, paddle pools, and campsites; and
birds abound in six-foot tall ferns in a marshland where
beaver also build their dams. There are springs, berry
patches, and a "sugar bush" of maple trees. Nearby are
limestone caves to explore and mountains to climb.
The problem was to organize the program without spoil-
ing the spirit of adventure and also to allow time for relax-
ation. A solution has been made along the following lines:
swimming is the only regimented activity, conducted under
strict Red Cross rules and under Red Cross-trained instruc-
tors. For the rest of the program, each of the five camp-
site groups (arranged by approximate ages) is assigned a
day to participate in the following activities:
Farming. Chickens fed, watered, eggs collected. Sheep,
horses, and other animals given needed attention. Horse-
manship, too, is taught on this day.
Shop. Use of tools to make campsites more habitable or
to benefit the whole camp with such projects as bridges,
flagpoles, weather vanes, birdhouses, garden stakes, and
scarecrows.
Naturecraft. A shop, where native clay, rocks, flowers,
grasses, nuts, or other natural materials are worked with
for pleasure.
Campcrajt. Shelter building, fire building, cooking. Use
of axes and crosscut saws.
Exploration. Berry patches, marshlands, streams, woods.
Candy Mountain Day Camp in Leonia, New Jersey, has had
horseback riding as part of its program for the last ten
years without any casualties refuting insurance experts.
Farm and Country Day Camp near Albany, New York, is
an operating farm with fielils to till and animals to pas-
ture. Every moment is filled with "a .. l tin- earth.
112
RECREATION
Campers and counselors traditionally join in carving
an authentic totem pole from a log felled in the
woods at Knights Camp, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Trips to caves, to climb nearby mountains, or a day at an
outpost camp.
Problems are quite different from those confronting resi-
dent camps. Leadership for most day camps has to be
found locally since the camp does not usually house the
staff. Then, too, this leadership needs to be especially camp-
minded so as to give every moment of the day a "sense of
the earth" and its elements.
The counselor-in-training program may prove a help here.
After three seasons of trial, the counselors here are enthusi-
astic over the freshness and sparkle these teen-agers con-
tribute. MAUDE L. DRYDEN, Farm and Country Day Camp,
Feura Bush, New York.
Work Camp for Teen-Age Boys
A fine spirit of interagency cooperation between Fuld
Neighborhood House, Newark, New Jersey, and the Essex
MARCH 1960
County Park Commission produced the Work Camp for
Teen-Age Boys. The work camp was developed out of ex-
periences with participants at Fuld House in a year-round
teen-age program. It had become evident to many staff
people that much irresponsible, near-delinquent, or delin-
quent behavior at this age level is rooted not only in the
basic insecurity of home environments, but also in the
youngsters' general feeling of being unwanted, unappreci-
ated, with a resulting inability to develop self-esteem and
positive orientation.
It seemed in order to offer them a program providing
warm but strong leadership, an occupation from which the
community would benefit, the self-esteem arising from such
an occupation, and an honestly earned income. Once Fuld
House evolved this policy, it approached the Essex County
Park Commission to help implement it, which the commis-
sion did with understanding and generosity. Fuld House,
it was decided, would be responsible for selecting partici-
pants, educational supervision, and transportation. The
commission would provide the location for the project,
work assignments, a foreman, tools, and wages for the young
camper-workers, approximating two thousand dollars.
The program ran during the summers of 1957 and 1958,
but was discontinued last summer because the commission
had to cut its budget. Both Fuld House and the commission
hope to get it going again in time for summer 1960. It
would be a particularly appropriate move in view of the
Youth Conservation Act of 1959, passed the end of last year
by Congress. The act "authorizes establishment of a Youth
Conservation Corps to provide healthful outdoor training
and employment for young men and to advance the con-
servation, development and management of national re-
sources of timber, soil, and range, and of recreational
areas."
For complete details about the work camp, write Dr.
Antoinette Fried, former executive director of Fuld Neigh-
borhood House, now director of Group Work and Recrea-
tion, James Weldon Johnson Community Center, 1820 Lex-
ington Avenue, New York 29. Martin Livenstein, at Fuld
House, 71 Boyd Street, Newark 3, New Jersey, can tell you
what the camp's future plans are.
Horseback Riding at Candy Mountain
Candy Mountain Day Camp has had horseback riding
for the last ten years without a single serious casualty, de-
spite the admonitions from brokers and insurance com-
panies; it is the camp's most popular activity. The children
ride each day in a fully enclosed corral and become remark -
113
ably proficient within a few weeks. The stable is the most
popular place in camp on rainy days, the children vying
with each other to curry animals, fix bridles, repair halters,
polish saddles, and, yes, even muck out the stalls.
The program is successful only because of a rigid series
of rules which receive strict compliance. All riding is done
in the enclosed corral under the constant and demanding
supervision of a mature horsewoman with many years of
experience. Nor are the animals plugs purchased the day
before camp. They belong to the riding master and have
been with her at least a year before they are permitted to
come to Candy Mountain. During that year they are "child-
broken" and the ornery and cantankerous weeded out.
In the corral the mounting section is separate from the
riding corral proper. There is no confusion between those
who are riding and those who are mounting. For the be-
ginners, mounting is done on a specially built mounting
block to which the horses have been accustomed before
camp opens. For the more advanced, the riding master
teaches proper approach and mounting in another section
of the corral. Specially mimeographed sheets are distrib-
uted through the camp paper, detailing each part of the
horse's anatomy, names of each piece of equipment, and
other miscellaneous terminology.
For really advanced riders there is a riding clinic during
hobby periods, when they are taught advanced riding seat,
posting, animal care, and so on. These are the only chil-
dren permitted outside the corral on the many lovely trails
through the woods.
One of the largest problems has been with the insurance
companies, who charge an excessively high, almost pro-
hibitive, rate despite an excellent safety record. However,
we intend continuing the riding program at Candy Moun-
tain. B. DREXLER, Candy Mountain Day Camp, Leonia,
New Jersey.
Camping Briefs
Ten years ago Camp J.C.C., in Stepney, Connecticut,
had about 100 campers; last year, 550, with approximately
110 counselors. Several factors have promoted this growth:
(1) the high ratio of counselors to campers; (2) excellent
facilities, plus plenty of wide, open spaces, wooded areas,
hills, and gulleys to explore, a brook for frog hunting
and catching crawdads; and (3) the most recent innova-
tion, a work-recreation program for the twelve-to-thirteen-
year-olds who, after several years of camp, have become
pretty blase about the same old activities. Mornings, they
are put to work on projects; afternoons, they are free to
pursue any form of recreation they wish. The girls, for
example, were assigned as counselors' aides to work with
the younger children. The boys' work projects included
clearing a large wooded hillside area, which was then con-
verted into a shaded amphitheater. The boys also built
bridges across brooks, graded the path up the hill lead-
ing to new cabins, decorated the camp barn with murals,
among other activities. The satisfaction of seeing the
results of their own handiwork has exceeded anything we
dreamed of, and this project approach has also developed
114
in our campers a wonderful sense of responsibility and
identification with the camp, the latter qualities very neces-
sary at this age level. ABE RABINOWITZ, director, Camp
J.C.C., owned and maintained by Bridgeport Children's
Camp, Inc., operated by Jewish Community Center of
Bridgeport.
Campers and counselors traditionally join in carving an
authentic totem pole from a log felled in the woods be-
longing to The Knights Day Camp. It is carved, painted,
and raised with much ceremony. Among other different
projects initiated for the fourteen-year-old boys was the
rehabilitation of an old Chevrolet truck. So beat up it
had to be towed to camp, it was not long, with the guid-
ance of an enthusiastic counselor, before the motor was
taken down, cleaned, put back together again. And, what's
more, it ran! The young campers also built themselves
a miniature golf course, which gave them an overall sense
of accomplishment, both in the actual building as well as
the use of it after it was finished. We found it an excellent
"quiet" activity for hot days or as an extension of the
rest period. We utilize no kits in our crafts program,
preferring basic materials. The youngsters use scraps:
when they weave baskets they first soak the reeds in the
stream. MAURICE STERNBERG, director, The Knights Day
Camp, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, and chairman,
Day Camp Committee, American Camping Association,
New York Section.
Two years ago the Chicago Park District held an un-
usual one-day camp institute for its 150 recreation em-
ployees, in Columbus Park. The institute was organized
along the lines of an eighteen-hole golf course, utilizing
the gymnasium, all clubrooms, the grounds, and the la-
goon, with a different activity presented at each "green."
Each small group was led around by a "caddy," a staff
member wearing a red cap, who escorted each group from
green to green and kept it on schedule. Canvas caddy
bags, made for the occasion, contained mimeoed material
and project samples. A committee conducted twenty-
minute sessions on the specialty featured at each green.
Naturally, there were breaks for snacks and meals. The
method was not used so much for its novelty, but to add
variety and more intimate contact with lecturers and spec-
ialists assigned to each subject. It also provided an or-
derly, organized way of handling a large number of people,
where everyone had an opportunity to ask questions and
inspect samples of handcrafts, photographs, posters, and
various other camp projects. JOHN R. DALENBERC, area
supervisor, Chicago Park District.
Day Camp Standards
The following are among those standards planned to
assure a creative, educational camping experience for
every participant, as set up for organized day camping
by the American Camping Association.
PROGRAM
The camp program should afford an opportunity for the
campers to participate in a creative outdoor group ex-
RECREATION
Camp] .C.C., in Stepney, Connecticut, offers a work-recreation
program to appeal to those blase twehe-to-thirteen-year-olds.
perience in a democratic setting, and should provide for
the development of each individual.
A. The camp should develop objectives in the following
areas:
1. Outdoor living.
2. Fun and adventure.
3. Social adjustment for example, the development
of independence and reliability, ability to get
along with others, and values in group living.
4. An understanding of individuals and groups of
varied backgrounds.
5. Improvement of health.
6. Skills and appreciation, particularly as related to
the out-of-doors.
7. Spiritual values.
B. The program should be so planned, administered,
and supervised as to lead to the achievement of the general
objectives of camping and the special objectives of the
particular camp. It is recommended that these objectives
be stated in writing. Essentially, the program should be
related to the central theme of living together in a natural
environment and learning to enjoy the out-of-doors.
C. Within the general framework of the program there
should be opportunity for cooperative planning of activi-
ties by campers and camp staff and an opportunity for
some choice of activities by individual campers.
D. Program activities should be geared to the ages,
abilities, and interests of the campers.
E. The program should provide opportunity for indivi-
dual activity, for rest and quiet, for small group activity
and for occasions involving the whole camp.
F. The pace, pressure, and intensity of the program
should be regulated so that campers will have time for
leisure and can participate in activities of their own will
and at their own tempo.
G. The program should include occasional parent-par-
ticipation activities and/or other techniques to strengthen
family relationships and parent understanding of program
objectives.
H. Camps designed to offer a general program in camp-
ing should include a variety of situations in which the
camper will have an opportunity:
1. To acquire a feeling of competence and to enjoy
himself in the natural outdoor setting through
camp skills and other activities common in camp
life.
2. To participate in group projects, special events
and ceremonies, and social activities.
3. To share in the care of and improvement of the
camp.
4. To increase his knowledge and appreciation of
the world in which he lives.
5. To learn his relationship to his environment
through such media as nature crafts, using native
materials, etcetera.
CAMPSITE, FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
A. The campsite should provide a maximum of privacy
and wherever possible be located away from densely popu-
lated areas and undesirable resorts. It should be free
from unnecessary hazards and be properly drained. It
should be located within a reasonable distance from the
campers' homes depending upon the transportation avail-
able.
B. The site should provide natural resources that will
make possible an outdoor living experience.
C. Buildings or other structures should be constructed
safely and in accordance with any building code applicable
to a given locality and maintained in safe condition.
D. There should be sufficient equipment and facilities
kept in safe operating condition, to carry out stated ob-
jectives and program.
E. Adequate provision should be made for shelter of
campers during inclement weather.
ADMINISTRATION
A. All published statements, such as brochures, public-
ity, etcetera, should be accurate and complete.
B. The camp should have the following records:
1. Budget, financial statement, food records, and
inventories.
2. All permits required by local and state authorities.
3. Written consent of parents for camper's attend-
ance and participation in activities.
4. Registration card for each camper providing the
important information.
5. Record of health examination and a statement by
the camper's parent indicating the child's good
health and including the disclosure of any limita-
tions which would affect activities.
6. Record of first aid and medical treatment of
campers, staff, or other persons.
7. Written agreements with all camp staff receiving
salaries or wages.
8. Statement of insurance coverage.
9. Other records of the individual camper during the
camp season or period, as deemed desirable by
the camp administration. #
MARCH 1960
115
Transportation to camp is not just a ride
but a get-acquainted adventure.
Handicapped children have the same
needs and desires as all children, and
they too respond happily to the friend-
ships, adventures, and new experiences
even, a brief sample of camping offers.
SINCE 1937, the St. Louis Society
for Crippled Children has been
sponsoring handicapped children
in several residential camps in this
area. We have been fortunate in that
Camps Wyman, Sherwood Forest, Der-
ricotte, and River Cliff have been in-
DANIEL BOONE ROAMS AGA
when the severely handicapped go day camping.
Dorothy Spear, MSW
Swimming and water fun, a healthy
activity for all, requires
careful supervision. From small
pool some are promoted to larger one.
116
terested in helping integrate the handi-
capped child into regular camps. Over
this period of time, we found a number
of children who could not and should
not go to a regular camp. These chil-
dren had a degree of disability so se-
vere that they could not handle them-
selves in regular camps and, in some
instances, were too immature or had
the kind of disabilities that automatic-
ally ruled them out.
In 1957, we received a grant to start
plans for these children so that they,
too, might have a camping experience.
We purchased thirty-eight acres in St.
Charles County, twenty-five miles from
the heart of St. Louis. Since this camp
is near Daniel Boone's home, and near
the Daniel Boone Highway, the chil-
dren voted to give the camp his name.
We continued to use city and agency
camping facilities, reserving Daniel
Boone Camp for the severely involved.
We accept all orthopedic diagnoses
and have no limitations on the number
of children in wheelchairs for a ses-
sion. We accept children with such
diagnoses as spinal bifida, Legg-
Perthes, hydrocephalus, postpolio,
postencephalitis, post brain-tumor op-
eration, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and
blindness.
We believe that handicapped chil-
dren are, first and foremost, children.
When we plan day camping for them,
we want camping personnel, not spe-
cialists in the field of the handicapped.
Our children so often have relation-
ships with adults on the basis of ther-
Daniel Boone still proves to be a good
shot in the wilderness. Infirmities
are quickly forgotten at camp. Here,
the handicapped child learns to get
along with others and with himself.
handicapped, too, have their hopes
dreams which can be fulfilled
strengthened when living close to
beauties of nature. Their
ronment is often too restricted.
The creative urge ignores handicaps,
brings individual purpose and
satisfaction to everyone alike. In
addition to creative arts, there
is also singing and storytelling.
MARCH 1960
117
apy, through which the child is sup-
posed to achieve. This means the chil-
dren are being asked to do things. We
feel that the youngsters will benefit by
good camper-counselor relationships,
and this has turned out to be true. Our
children relate well to their counsel-
ors; here is someone who is paying at-
tention to them just for fun. We have
been fortunate in drawing counselors
of high calibre ; these are young people
who, for the most part, are in college,
specializing in the humanities. They
accept our children wholeheartedly,
and there have been no morbid reac-
tions.
Out of this good counselor relation-
ship, and the opportunity for our chil-
dren to be in an out-of-doors setting
and in a group situation, have come
some specific physical and emotional
benefits. Most important is the height-
ened morale in child and parent. For
example, one youngster, involved in all
extremities, without much hope of
walking, got tired of crawling across
gravel and grass, got up in a walker
and the next year, on crutches. Some
youngsters, used to being carried
around, saw other children walking
and became more motivated in their
attempts to walk.
/CHILDREN have an ingrown growth
^-^ factor; they grow and learn by
play. Recreation to them is truly re-
creating. A child utilizes his growth in
exploring his environment. A handi-
capped child's environment is often re-
stricted. We found camping a good ve-
hicle for this growth, providing a nat-
ural way for the child to learn about it.
In facilitating and fostering play op-
portunities, we are at the same time
helping the child to learn to get along
with others and with himself. So often,
handicapped children are left stranded
as others run away.
The camp program for these children
is the same as for any others, with some
slowing down, but with modifications
kept to a minimum. Since our staff is
camping-oriented, we provide the basic
activities and conduct our program as
in a residential camp, except that the
children do not stay overnight. We
have nature lore, swimming, hikes, rifle
shooting, archery, and large mobile
toys. We have singing, storytelling, and
skits, as well as creative arts. All of this
is done out-of-doors. The children rest
on pallets on the ground, which the
Missouri summer climate makes possi-
ble.
We have a small swimming pool, bath-
house, and farmhouse with screened-in
side porch, which we use as a dining
hall. In addition to our small pool, we
use plastic tools for the more handi-
capped or timid children, some of whom
graduate to the larger pool while attend-
ing camp. There is a log cabin on the
premises with a fireplace and an over-
hanging roof under which we conduct
craft activities. We do not plan for such
sedentary activities as TV or movies.
When the children are resting, they
either rest, read, or have a counselor
read to them.
Many of our children come from the
center of town ; so nature lore is some-
thing brand new and wonderful to them.
In addition, our farm animals entrance
them. We also have a pony and all
children who wish to can ride the pony,
long leg braces or not. Our ratio is two
counselors to five children, but we also
have specialists in nature and crafts.
and staff meet at the re-
habilitation center and forty-five
minutes later are at camp. This is not
just travel time, for the children learn
songs and riddles and have a chance to
become acquainted with the counselors
and each other.
Before camp opens, we arrange an
orientation meeting with staff, discuss-
ing each child and his condition. We
also provide the camp staff with a de-
tailed medical-social record. However,
we find that those with good camping
background go ahead, do not need the
record nor detailed medical infor-
mation. Emergency medical care is
planned for in case the family doctor
cannot be reached, but in three years
no medical care has been necessary.
At present, we plan three sessions of
two weeks, each of which permits some
age grouping. Our first session is for
the younger children, from about six
to eight years of age; the second, for
those around nine to eleven years: and
the third, for teen-agers. We enroll
twenty-five children per session.
Campers are accepted only after med-
ical clearance and evaluation of the doc-
tor's recommendations in terms of the
child's ability to benefit from camping.
In addition to the children in our own
rehabilitation program, we accept chil-
dren who are referred to us from outside
sources. One social worker, who has
worked for a number of years on camp
placements, is assigned to handle all
camp applications from outside refer-
rals. She, with the doctor, the family
and child, work out camping plans
either for regular camp or Daniel
Boone. Our experience in integrating
children with many different diagnoses,
including blind and epileptic children,
has demonstrated that this can be done
successfully in a camping program as
long as groups are small, program flex-
ible, and staff adequately prepared.
WE EXPECT to graduate some chil-
dren from day camp to regular
camp next year. There are some who
have been overprotected by parents and
others, to the extent that they do not
achieve a degree of physically possible
independence. These, through Camp
Daniel Boone, demonstrate what they
can do, to parents and other adults
taking care of them. This, in turn, lays
the groundwork for both child and par-
ent to face separation next year when
the child attends a sleep-away camp.
Handicapped children should not be
denied the many interesting facets of
nature, which we attempt to provide in
our own camp planning. These children
go to camp like other children they
know they have something to talk
about they have had a full day and
are no trouble to put to bed.
At Daniel Boone, we have tried to
provide a setting to foster emotional
and physical growth and a love of out-
doors. We do not want to baby-sit out-
doors. We believe there is a difference
between camping and baby-sitting out-
doors, and it is our policy to stress
camping by hiring counselors equipped
to do just that. Handicapped children
desperately need this experience; the
greater the handicap, the greater tin
need. #
MRS. SPEAR is a casrifrker for the St.
Louis (Missouri) Society for Crippled
Children, affiliated tcith the \ational So-
ciety for Crippled Children and Adults.
118
RECREATION
A community's effort to
stimulate camping in an era of
shrinking "open spaces."
KEEP THE CAMPFIRES
BURNING
Making camp on above-tidewater sandbar.
Joseph W. Halper
Campers depart from school demonstra-
tion area for two-mile hike to
waterfront and takeoff by launch
for adventure on Pearsall's Hassock.
ATTEMPTS by suburban communi-
ties to establish camping pro-
grams have been thwarted con-
stantly by the increasing lack of
suitable and easily accessible land. The
remnants of local wildernesses desired
by camping enthusiasts are yielding
to housing developments and disap-
pearing from the scene. This problem
of vanishing open areas, which com-
pels long trips to reach suitable loca-
tions, has been one of the major deter-
rents to good camping programs in
many of the more crowded areas of
our country.
In the spring of 1958, the commu-
nity of Oceanside, New York, moved
to solve this problem and develop its
own community camping project.
Oceanside is a heavily developed, unin-
corporated suburban community loca-
ted on the south shore of Long Island,
with a population of approximately
MR. HALPER is director of recreation,
Oceanside, New York, Public Schools.
32,000. The community recreation de-
partment, which is five years old, is
under the auspices of the board of
education and is financed from the pub-
lic appropriation for education.
Upon consultation with the Long
Island Park Commission, the commu-
nity was informed, unhappily, that be-
cause of the increasing pressure of
population growth, Long Island state
parks could no longer support such
activities as group camping.
Oceanside then turned to its own
resources. After careful investigation,
two particular areas were selected with
specific purposes in mind; the first,
for its particular suitability as an area
of camping demonstration and educa-
tion; the second, for its appropriate-
ness as an adventure campsite.
The demonstration site, a plot of
eight thousand square feet, is situated
in a corner of the high-school athletic
field where several good-sized shade
trees stand. This area was developed
as a joint community project by the
Kiwanis Club and the Girl Scouts, who
shared the expense. Other community
scout agencies assisted the recreation
department in planning facilities,
which included a fifteen-foot-diameter
teepee, an Adirondack leanto, a work
shelter, weather station, an ax yard
with chopping blocks, park-type fire-
places, several picnic tables, and a
handpump well. The area is enclosed
by a stockadelike rustic fence.
This facility was planned for the
handling of troop- or class-size groups,
one of its main functions being to
teach camping skills, such as fire
building, outdoor cooking, axmanship,
meal planning, weather prediction, and
other camp crafts in a camplike sur-
rounding. The camp was also intended
as a leadership training facility and
an outdoor education teaching station
for the school system.
After the basic skills are taught in
this demonstration area, the recreation
department utilizes an above-tidewater
sand bar, two hundred yards off the
shore of the community, for the adven-
ture phase of its camping program.
This gives campers an opportunity to
use the skills and knowledge learned
at the demonstration area in practical
living experiences.
It was a familiar sight this past sum-
mer for residents of Oceanside to see
groups of twenty to thirty campers de-
parting from the demonstration area
in the high-school grounds, to hike two
miles with pack and gear to the water-
front. Here a waiting motor launch
transported the groups to Pearsall's
Hassock, situated in the middle of
Hewlett Channel, where they would
spend two days camping in natural
surroundings.
The Oceanside School District Rec-
reation Department met with gratify-
ing success in this two-phase camping
program and plans to expand the pro-
gram in seasons to come. The areas
are also being reserved by community
scouting groups. The camp demonstra-
tion area is under the Oceanside Board
of Education for control and mainte-
nance. Reservation for its use is made
through the school district office in the
same manner as other school facilities.
Most communities have plots at least
this size, on school grounds or other
public lands, that can be developed at
costs of less than fifteen hundred dol-
lars, if the talents of the community
are properly organized and utilized.
Thus, the problem of securing suitable
land need not be as great a setback in
developing a community camping pro-
ject as may at first appear. #
MARCH 1960
119
A REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK
A-Boating They Do Go
Americans owned 7,800,778 pleasure
boats of all kinds at the close of 1959,
according to the Mobil Oil Company.
Of this total, 4,804,000 were boats spe-
cifically designed to use power. This
includes inboard gasoline- and diesel-
engine boats and those having transoms
for outboard motors. The company's
latest survey showed 6,709,000 boat
motors of all types in the U.S. and its
principal territories. By far the largest
part of these, 5.845,000 were outboard
motors. In addition to
boats specifically de-
signed to use power,
the survey reported 2,-
500,000 rowboats and
dinghies and 496,000
sailboats. Many of
these craft use motors
at times.
New York State con-
tinued to lead in the total number of
power-designed boats with 457,000
(9.52% of the nationwide total) . Other
states with more than 200,000 power-
designed boats each, with their percen-
tage of the national total, were: Calif-
ornia, 340,292 (7.08%); Minnesota,
332,467 (6.92%); Illinois, 263,473
(5.48%) ; Florida, 251,287 (5.23%) ;
Ohio, 250,382 (5.21%); and Texas,
241,090, (5.02%).
Water-borne "hot-rodders" have be-
come a major headache to waterfront
communities across the nation. The
New York City Police Department's
Harbor Precinct, with a thirteen-launch
fleet, has clamped down on violators of
the state navigation law: operators of
inboard or outboard motorboats who
drop refuse in the water or use boats
with noisy mufflers or cutouts ; speeders
and cutups; reckless water skiers and
rash surfboard riders. In Fairfield
County, Connecticut, police depart-
ments have taken to sending their men
to classes in waterfront activities to
cope with the rise in pleasure boating.
Their duties range from preventing ju-
venile vandalism and rounding up "joy-
riders" who abscond with boats to res-
cuing becalmed Sunday sailors. They
are also taking skin-diving lessons for
rescue work.
Spotlight on Youth
Juvenile delinquency cases in Ramsey
County, Minnesota, have decreased for
the first time in five years and the chief
probation officer has commended Ber-
nard T. Holland, commissioner of the
St. Paul Bureau of Parks and Recrea-
tion, for his help in this area. Proba-
tion officer John K. Donahue stated,
"Good playground administration does
much to reduce delinquency." The
county's juvenile delinquency caseload
dropped from 1499 in 1958 to 1308 in
1959. (For other news of St. Paul, see
Page 110.)
There are tens of thousands of chil-
dren who literally have never seen a
green hillside, and at the rate the coun-
tryside is receding, perhaps they never
will. Nature Centers for Young Amer-
ica (formerly the National Foundation
for Junior Museums) is now conduct-
ing programs in some dozen states to
aid the establishment of "Green Islands
of Nature," before subdivision and de-
velopment close the gates forever. The
organization offers professional advice
on how to set up nature centers and or-
ganize educational and recreation pro-
grams for nature study.
In a recent New York State Regents
examination a student referred to
"people bearing the grunt of heavy tax-
ation."
Authorities in Prince Georges Coun-
ty, Maryland, report that juvenile of-
fenders while away their time in jail
reading fan mail from teen-age girls.
People in the News
Howard C. Hites has joined the Los
Angeles County Department of Parks
and Recreation as social and cultural
activities director. Un-
til recently Mr. Hites
was general manager of
the Southeast Recrea-
tion and Park District,
with headquarters at
Norwalk. Previously he held executive
recreation and managerial positions in
San Marino, with the Welfare Federa-
tion of Los Angeles, the city of Beverly
Hills, Beverly Hills Youth Center, and
Volunteers of America, Los Angeles.
After more than thirty-six years of
service as a city of Los Angeles em-
ployee, Ernest M. Reeves, senior park
foreman, recently retired. Mr. Reeves,
who had reached the compulsory re-
tirement age of seventy, entered city
service on September 2, 1924, as a la-
borer in the former park department.
He was appointed senior park foreman
in 1945.
Los Angeles reports that Edgar C.
Lindgren, Los Angeles City Recreation
and Park Depart-
ment senior garden-
er, hasn't used a sin-
gle day of his sick
leave in thirty-two
years ! Congratula-
tions are in order
and best wishes for another thirty-two
sickfree years.
Nuclear chemist Glenn Theodore Sea-
borg knows the difference between an
atom and a golf ball but finds them
both pesky. When he isn't busy being
the chancellor of the University of Cal-
ifornia in Berkeley and winning inter-
national awards (Nobel Prize in chem-
istry, 1951, and the fifty-thousand-dol-
lar Enrico Fermi Award, 1959), Dr.
Seaborg joins his four sons (he also has
two daughters) and neighborhood kids
in the large lot next to his home in
Lafayette. He has converted this into a
playground with a baseball diamond
and a tennis court that doubles as bas-
ketball and volleyball court. A discov-
erer of the plutonium used in atomic
bombs. Dr. Seaborg also tries to be
scientific about his golf game.
Mrs. Maurine Evans is the new su-
perintendent of recreation in Spring-
(Continued on Page 121)
120
RECREATION
I960
IZS GENUINE AUTOGRAPHED LOUISVILLE SLUGGER POWERIZED. Natural ash white finish. Turned from choice, open-air-seasoned white ash.
Genuine autographed models of the twenty sluggers listed below comprise the No. (25 line. An assortment of not fewer than six different models is
guaranteed to each carton of one dozen. Packed 4/33", 5/34", and 3/35" bats in each carton. Shipping weight, 27 pounds Each $4.60
MODELS:
Henry Aaron
Richie Ashburn
Ernie Banks
Yogi Berra
Orlando Cepeda
Bob Cerv
Rocky Colavito
Joe Cunningham
Nelson Fox
Al Kaline
Harmon Killebrew
Ted Kluszewski
Harvey Kuenn
Mickey Manfle
Ed Mathews
Jackie Robinson
Duke Snider
Frank Thomas
Gus Triandos
Ted Williams
IMS SPECIAL AUTOGRAPHED LOUISVILLE SLUGGER POWERIZED. (Nor illustrated). Quality and finish identical to No. 125 above, but turned to
slightly smaller dimensions for the particular requirements of High School, Prep School, Babe Ruth League, Pony Baseball, and other teen-age players.
Listed below are the autographed models in the I25S group. An assortment of not fewer than six different models is guaranteed to each carton of one
dozen. Packed 4/32", 5/33", and 3/34" bats in each carton. Shipping weight, 24 pounds Each $4.60
MODELS:
Henry Aaron Rocky Colavito Harvey Kuenn Jackie Robinson
Richie Ashburn Al Kaline Mickey Mantle Duke Snider
Yogi Berra Harmon Killebrew Ed Mathews Ted Williams
43 ASH FUNGO. GENUINE LOUISVILLE SLUGGER POWERIZED. (Not illustrated). Quality and finish identical to No. 125 above. Each carton of
one dozen contains three (34") infield and nine (37" and 38") outfield fungoes. Shipping weight, 20 pounds Each $4.60
'25 EBONY FINISH GENUINE AUTOGRAPHED LOUISVILLE SLUGGER POWERIZED. Turned from choice, open-air-seasoned timber. Rich ebony
finish with gold branding. Six different models are guaranteed to each carton of one dozen. Packed 4/33", 5/34", and 3/35" bats in each carton. Shipping
weight, 27 pounds Each $4.60
/
QxnsuiSlam,
(1*11 lll'i HOtfL
' GRAND SLAM Natural white finish. Turned from select northern white ash timber. Patterned after the original models of the famous sluggers
whose names they bear. Six different models guaranteed to each carton of one dozen. Lengths 4/33", 5/34", and 3/35" bats in each carton. Shipping
weight, 26 pounds
ppmg
Each $3.60
150$ SPECIAL GRAND SLAM (Not illustrated). Quality and finish identical to No. 150 above, but turned to slightly smaller dimensions for the par-
ticular requirements of High School, Prep School, Babe Ruth League, Pony Baseball, and other teen-age players. Six different models guaranteed to
each carton of one dozen. Lengths 4/32", 5/33", and 3/34" bats in carton. Shipping weight, 24 pounds Each S3. 60
EO MATWCW3
140S SPECIAL POWER DRIVE. Natural white finish. Turned from fine whit; ash. Patterned after the original models of the famous sluggers whose
names they bear, but turned to slightly smaller specifications for the particular reguirements of High School, Prep School, Babe Ruth League, Pony
Baseball, and other teen-age players. Six different models guaranteed to each carton of one dozen. Assorted lengths 32" to 34"; shipping weight. 25 pounds.
Each $3.10
Bats for PONY BASEBALL.
Numbers 125S, 150S, 140S. and 130S (also the Junior and
Little League numbers) are approved for PONY BASEBALL
play. These numbers are particularly suitable for players of
this age group.
Bats for BABE RUTH LEAGUE
Any baseball bat in the Louisville Slugger line not longer than
34" may be used in BABE RUTH LEAGUE play. However, the
"specials" (125S, 150S, 140S, and 130S) are particularly suit-
able for players of this age group.
Tinted in U.S.A.
HILLERICH & BRADSBV COMPANY, INC., LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
Also Makers of Grand Slam Golf Clubs
Copyright l?&0
H & B BASEBALL BATS
HARVEY KUENN MODEL
14W SAFE MIT. Finished In natural ash white and supplied in an assortment of famous sluggers' models In each carton of one dozen. Assorted lengths
from 32" to 35"; shipping weight, 26 pounds _ Each $2.70
V\ \ \ Y^TX I
VVvV ix.Vvt
11B BIG LEAGUER. Black finish with white tape grip. An assortment of famous sluggers' models in each carton of one dozen. Lengths range from 32"
to 35"; shipping weight. 27 pounds Each $2.30
130S SPECIAL SAFE HIT. Turned from ash with rich dark maroon finish. Patterned after original models of the famous sluggers whose names they bear,
but turned to slightly smaller specifications for the particular requirements of High School, Prep School, Babe Ruth League, Pony Baseball, and other
teen-age players. Six different models guaranteed to the carton of one dozen, assorted lengths 32" to 34"; shipping weight, 24 pounds Each $2.30
* LEADER. Light brown finish. Assorted famous sluggers* models. Assorted lengths, from 32" to 35"; shipping weight, 27 pounds Each $1.80
*T BATS ,
HIUERICHftBRAOSBYC
AND JUNIOR
Performance makes them Famous
IITTU LtAGUC
J&^-fO**
lOUISYIUI SIU6GIS
125LL GENUINE AUTOGRAPHED LITTLE LEAGUE LOUISVILLE SLUGGER. Large-size junior bat. Turned from select, open-air-seasoned white ash and
hickory. Each carton of one dozen contains approximately half with natural white finish and half with antique finish. Autographs of Henry Aaron, Yogi
ocky Colavito, Nelson Fox. Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams. P.icked 3 29". 4 30". 3 31". and 2 32" bats in each carton. Shipping weight.
.
Berra. Ro
21 pounds
.
Each S3. 50
125BB GENUINE AUTOGRAPHED LITTLE LEAGUE LOUISVILLE SLUGGER EBONY FINISH. Large-size junior bat. Turned from select open-air-seasoned
timber. Imprinted white tape grip. Autographs of Henry Aaron, Yogi Berra, Rocky Colavito, Nelson Fox, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams. Lengths.
3/29", 4/30", 3/31", and 2/32" bats in each carton. Shipping weight, 22 pounds Each S3. 10
115J GENUINE AUTOGRAPHED LITTLE LEAGUE LOUISVILLE SLUGGER. Medium-size junior bat. Turned from select open-air-seasoned ash. Approxi-
mately half of the I25J bats have natural finish as shown above; the other half have an ebony finish. Autographs of Henry Aaron, Yogi Berra. Rocky
Colavito, Nelson Fox. Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams. Lengths 3 29". 4 30". 3 31". and 2 32". Shipping weight. 20 pounds Each ~
Rocky
$2.70
, . LITTLE LEAGUE "It's a Louisville." Large-size junior bat with two-tone black barrel and white handle
of these famous hitters: Henry Aaron. Yogi Berra. Rocky Colavito, Nelson Fo. Mickey Mantle, and Ted
weight, 21 pounds
finish. Each bat contains the name of one
Williams. Lengths 29" to 32". Shipp
Shipping
ach $2.30
" LITTLE LEAGUE. Large-size junio, bat Light brown finish. Each bat branded with name of one of these famous hitters: Henry Aaron, Yogi
Berra, Rocky Calavito, Nelson Fox. Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams. Lengths 29" to 32". Shipping weight. 20 pounds Each $1.10
LOUISVILLE SLUGGER
Performance makes them Famous
. -K 11
125Y LOUISVILLE SLUGGER OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT MODEL 12. For the consistent hitter a small-barreled bat with gradual tai
Antique finish. Finest selection of second-growth ash and/or hickory. One dozen to carton, 6/33" and 6/34"; shipping weight, 24 pounds
per to small grip.
Each $3.60
ittlUlRiCr 1 4 BRADS8Y C*}5
I25SP LOUISVILLE SLUGGER "SLOW-PITCH" SOFTBALL BAT ASSORTED OFFICIAL MODELS. Designed for the rapidly expanding game of slow-
pitch Softball and the more experienced player preferring a bat with more heft. Antique finish hickory. One dozen in carton, 6/33" and 6/34"; shipping
weight, 28 pounds
Each S3. 25
j
125W LOUISVILLE SLUGGER OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT. Assortment of popular models packed in carton of one dozen. Turned from select ash and/or
hickory, and Powerized. Finished in natural ash-white. Lengths, 6/33" and 6/34"; shipping weight, 23 pounds Each 53.25
125B LOUISVILLE SLUGGER "METEOR" OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT. A splendid assortment of models that will meet requirements of the various types
of hitters. Red maroon finish. Turned from select ash and/or hickory, and Powerized. One dozen in carton, 6/33" and 6/34"; shipping weight, 23 pounds.
Each $3.25
1Z5C LOUISVILLE SLUGGER OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT MODEL 8. "Fast-Swing" model for hitting fast pitching. Bottle-shaped large barrej. that
tapers quickly to small grip. Natural white finish. Turned from select ash and/or hickory, and Powerized. One dozen to carton, 6/31" and 6/32"; ship-
ping weight, 24 pounds Each '$3. 25
250B LOUISVILLE SLUGGER "ROCKET" SOFTBALL BAT ASSORTED OFFICIAL MODELS. A splendid variety of models answers full team requirements.
Ebony finish. Turned from select ash and/or hickory. One dozen in carton, 6/33" and 6/34"; shipping weight, 24 pounds Each $3.25
AVtXe Sluoytt
12ST LOUISVILLE SLUGGER OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT MODEL 6. For heavy hitters a bottle-shaped model with large barrel, tapering quickly to a
medium grip. Natural white finish. Turned from select ash and Powerized. One dozen to carton, 6/33" and 6/34"; shipping weight, 24 pounds Each $3.25
250C LOUISVILLE SLUGGER OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT MODEL 8. "Fast-Swing" model for hitting fast pitching. Bottle-shapedlarge barrel that
quickly tapers to small handle. Ebony finish. Turned from select ash and/or hickory and Powerized. Each carton, 6/31" and 6/32". Shipping weight,
25 pounds Each $3.25
125L LOUISVILLE SLUGGER OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT MODEL 1. For girl hitters. A small-barreled bat with gradual taper to a small grip. Natural
white finish ash and Powerized. One dozen in carton, 33" lengths. Shipping weight, 20 pounds .. Each $3.25
LOUISVILLE SLUCGER and H & B SOFTBALL BATS
ZOOA LOUISVILLE SLUGGER OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT. Supplied in assorted soft-ball models. Finished !rv brown antique and Powerized. Turned from
high-quality ash and/or hickory. One doien to carton, 31" and 32" lengths; shipping weight, 22 pounds.. Each $2.90
*
101 LOUISVILLE SLUGGER OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT. Assorted popular Softball models of first quality ash and hickory. Oil Tempered and finished
in saddle brown. Packed one dozen to carton, 6/33" and 6/34"; shipping weight, 24 pounds Each $2.90
100SP LOUISVILLE SLUGGER SLOW-PITCH OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT. Turned from high quality ash and/or hickory and finished in medium brown.
One dozen in carton, 6/31" and 6/32"; shipping weight, 24 pounds . HVT. Each $2.90
znnn
Jpuisviuf JLUCCEB
j
1IOW LOUISVILLE SLUGGER OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT. Assorted popular softball models. Turned from high quality ash and/or hickory. Natural white
finish and Oil Tempered. One dozen in carton, 6/33" and 6/34"; shipping weight. 22 pounds Eoeh $2 90
OFFICIAL
Softball
56 "It's a Louisville" OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT. Natural finish. Ash and/or hickory. Green zapon grip. On doztn assorted models in carton, 33"
and 34 lengths; shipping weight, 23 pounds Each $2.20
/H&B
Off KIM.
Softball
54 "It's a Louisville" OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT. Assorted models turned from ash and hickory. Brown finish and black zapon grip. One dozen in
carton, 6/33" and 6/34"; shipping weight, 23 pounds Each $2.20
,v
54C "/t's a Louisville" OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT Bottle-shaped "Fast Swing" model. Made of ash and hickory, with ebony brown finish. One dozen
in carton, 6/31" and 6/32"; shipping wejght, 24 pounds Each S2.20
Softball
54L "It's a Louisville" OFFICIAL GIRLS' MODEL. Natural white finish ash with blue zapon grip. One dozen in carton. 33" length- shipping weight,
I' Pounds Eo<:h $ 2 .20
52H OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT. Turned from ash and/or hickory .ind finished in ebony. One dozen assorted models to carton, 33" and 34" lengths;
shipping weight, 23 pounds Each $l.iO
I OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT. Turned from ash and/or hickory with maroon finish and gray zapon grip Assorted models. One dozen to carton ,33"
and 34 lengths; shipping weight 23 pounds } Each $t.70
v\\\v\
OFFICIAL SOFTBALL BAT. Brown finish. One dozen assorted models to carton, 33" and 34" lengths; shipping weight 22 pounds lock $1.30
field, Illinois, succeeding H. Francis
Shuster, who has resigned. Mrs. Evans
has been with the playground and rec-
reation commission since 1928 and was
recently elected vice-president of the
recreation division of the Illinois Asso-
ciation for Health, Physical Education,
and Recreation.
Howard R. Stagner has been named
chief naturalist of the National Park
Service. He had been assistant chief
of the Mission 66 staff in the Washing-
ton office of the Service. Mr. Stagner,
who joined as a ranger-naturalist in
Yellowstone National Park in 1933,
succeeds John E. Doerr, now superin-
tendent of Olympic National Park,
Washington.
As chief naturalist, Mr. Stagner's du-
ties include direction of the service's
development of naturalist's programs in
park areas, wildlife, and other natural
sciences.
NRA Pacific Southwest district rep-
resentative John J. Collier was honored
recently by the Ari-
zona Recreation As-
sociation with its
Fellow Award for his
outstanding service
to the association
and the recreation
movement in Arizona. Dennis McCar-
thy, Awards Committee chairman and
director of the Arizona State Park
Board, said, "I can sincerely say that
the stature which the Arizona Recrea-
tion Association enjoys today to a great
extent can be attributed to this man's
great efforts and interest, his vigorous
and zealous support for the aims and
objectives of the association during the
past five years." Well done, John !
Recreation USSR
In a report on social welfare in the
Soviet Union, the Social Welfare
Forum, 1959, reports ". . . other broad
areas of social services carried out by
the Soviet government include sum-
mer camps for children and youth and
various recreation clubs (called "pio-
neer clubs") in after-school hours that
are in addition to normal recreational
and cultural activities. Activities for
adults are largely concentrated in facil-
ities for recreation and education in
individual business enterprises, and at
so-called 'houses of culture' . . . estab-
lished through funds collected by the
trade unions. The latter provide group
recreational activities that include gym-
nasium and sport activities, libraries,
game rooms, and facilities for develop-
ing group talent in art, music, and
drama. The houses of culture are gen-
erally established by particular factory
trade-union groups, although other
people in the locality may attend. There
are some special houses of culture for
particular groups, such as the deaf and
dumb."
3n ffflrmnriam
A. B. Graham died recently in Co-
lumbus, Ohio, at the age of ninety-two,
just fifty -eight years after he organized
what became the world's first 4-H Club.
The movement, which began in Spring-
field, Ohio, on January 15, 1902, has
spread over the world (see RECREATION,
February 1960, Page 60). Mr. Gra-
ham's group, a boys' and girls' agricul-
tural club, joined with similar clubs
under the 4-H name in 1930. Mr. Gra-
ham was the last survivor of a com-
mittee, which, in 1906, prepared the ini-
tial plan for junior high schools in this
country.
Eric L. Madisen, Sr., of Appleton,
Wisconsin, known in park and recrea-
tion circles as the publisher of Park
Maintenance and Parks and Recreation
in Canada, died recently after being
semiretired for about a year. He was-
interested in furthering the cause of
park improvement and was ever-ready
with ideas and help to those who had
plans or problems.
Mrs. Amy Brighthurst Brown de-
Forest of Plainfield, New Jersey, was
killed in the recent plane crash in Ja-
maica, the West Indies, at the age of
eighty-two. Mrs. deForest and the late
Mr. deForest had aided the National
Recreation Association ever since 1913,
Mr. deForest having served as a spon-
sor for thirty-four years.
Dr. Caleb Guyer Kelly known as the
Methodist "baseball missionary," died
in Casablanca, Morocco, in January, at
the age of seventy-three. Dr. Kelly,
who organized 160 ball clubs in Tu-
nisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Libya, wa&
also known by thousands of American
seamen for whom he organized over
two hundred international games. Dr.
Kelly once said, "Baseball teaches good
sportsmanship and give and take two
qualities badly needed in the world to-
day."
Henry H. Tryon, a consulting fores-
ter, and for twenty-two years director
of the Black Rock Forest in New York's
Bear Mountain area, died recently at
the age of seventy-one. Most of his
adult life had been spent in forestry.
At one time he was extension forester
for South Carolina. #
Community Art Week in Middletown Township, New Jer-
sey, was inaugurated in 1958, and packs a solid calendar
of cultural activities into four very busy days. The festival
uses the high school while it is vacated for a teachers' con-
vention. The cafeteria is tranformed into an exhibition hall'
for the display of paintings, sculpture, ceramics and mosaics.
MARCH 1960
121
IB
THE FAMILY OUTDOORS
CAMPS AND CAMPING
T?AMILY CAMPING is unique in the camping movement be-
*- cause it takes the family as a whole unit and places
it in a situation where members have a chance to observe
each other in activities other than those of the normal home
life. Each has an opportunity to see and appreciate the
other's abilities. Family members get to know each other
better through this exhibition of skills; the children see
their parents take part in events they ordinarily don't en-
gage in. The whole effect is one of increasing family sol-
idarity, contributing to greater family activity as a unit.
Thousands of Americans are enjoying this type of vacation
every year, discovering for themselves the beauties of the
open woodland and lake, mountains and sea.
Family camping came into existence during the first dec-
ade of the twentieth century. There is now a marked trend
in the country, in state and national parks, and conservation
departments to provide more facilities for family camping.
Forms of Family Camping Family camping takes many
forms. Individual families may camp out in state and na-
tional parks. Family camps owned and operated by private
or agency organizations may have each family living in
cottages or other dwellings. Family camps may have a
separate unit for children and another for parents. The
latter should not be termed a "family camp." It is, at best,
a camp for children and a vacation for parents. This, of
course, might be the parents' reason for going to such
a camp. There are camps that do not specialize in family
122
camping, but permit families to attend, along with their
regular program.
Objectives The objectives of organized family camping,
as set up by the American Camping Association, are: (1)
to help family members have fun together, (2) to provide
the activities that enrich family living and relationships,
(3) to help families develop knowledge and skills for their
own, (4) to stimulate personal development through family
group planning. National and state parks buzz with fam-
ilies in summer, most of them tent campers, and a growing
number of public recreation departments are helping com-
munity families to learn more about the arts of camping.
In New Hampshire, Wink Tapply, National Recreation
Association district representative, conducts a "Family
Camporee" in White Lake State Park after Labor Day.
Last year, over sixty-five families, representing twenty-
eight New Hampshire communities, attended this weekend
of family recreation. In writing about it in Forest Notes,
New Hampshire conservation magazine, editor Leslie S.
Clark says, "I predict that the attendance next year will
again increase greatly, with the danger of having no New
Hampshire campground big enough to hold all the families
that would like to participate. ... If educational programs
were available in the various state camping areas, it would
help develop good recreational use of the outdoors and con-
tribute to a better understanding of our water, wildlife, and
forest resources." The state operates eight canipgrnuniU.
RECREATION
A FAMILY VACATION NIGHT
T7' VERY RECREATION director and supervisor hopes to reach
*-* as many families in his community as possible. Time
and effort devoted to this program are rewarding when large
groups participate and return time after time. To achieve
this means a constant search for new ideas with public ap-
peal. "Family Vacation Night" is one of these.
Devotees of family camping are numbered not in thou-
sands but in millions. As knowledge spreads, numbers
continue to increase. Many who have considered family
camping have never put it into practice because they lack
the opportunity to see how it is done and to appreciate its
possibilities. A "Family Vacation Night," offering speak-
ers, films, slides, exhibitions of equipment and seasoned
campers to give first-hand information will kindle the spark
for a lively evening.
It is easy to get a stimulating speaker, either from your
conservation department, natural history museum, or ranger
station. Any scout executive office can furnish a number
of individuals with practical experience. They are always
willing to cooperate in every way. As an added feature
find a shutterbug camper to show his skill with photography
of camp subjects. Include films that are loaned or rented
for a small sum by conservation departments, states, or
regions that wish to advertise their recreation facilities.
Each state will send you detailed information on its camp-
ing areas. The National Park Service, U. S. Department
of the Interior, and National Forest Service, U. S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture (both Washington 25, D. C.), will
supply you with maps and booklets and tell you where camp-
ing is permitted. The National Campers and Hikers Asso-
ciation, 1507 National Newark Building, Newark 2, New
Jersey, will contribute copies of Tent and Trail. Manufac-
turers will set up demonstrations of their wares, contribute
piles of pamphlets, possibly donate prizes or samples of
dehydrated foods.
Undoubtedly, local merchants who handle camp equip-
ment will find it advantageous to demonstrate the latest
thing in tents, lanterns, stoves, and gadgets that make out-
door living such an easy and delightful way of life. At a
recent meeting one concern demonstrated its stove by serv-
ing hot dogs and hamburgers "on the house." The Ford
Motor Company has a loan exhibition of every conceivable
type of equipment. The neighborhood library, always will-
ing to participate in community activities, will be pleased
to send a display of books and publications on camping.
All these things furnish material for an unusual evening.
Games for the evening should be suitable for camp use.
Contests should be devised that illustrate camp skills and
use of equipment. Can you imagine the laughter involved
during a skit on how to put up a tent with novice and in-
experienced campers as demonstrators? Or the hilarious
antics of new camp cooks flipping flapjacks or flapping flip-
jacks? How about the technique of undoing a bedroll and
getting into a sleeping bag?
Additional Activities -Where space permits, a complete
campsite might be set up on a playground. Neighbors with
experience are more willing to cooperate, exhibit their gear
for admiring friends, and so on.
It is not unheard of to plan an actual weekend of camp-
ing as a practical demonstration, to further community un-
derstanding. You will find more participants than you'd
expect. Last year, in Connecticut, five hundred families
spent such a weekend camping together. In May this year
families from New England and other Eastern states camped
in Pennsylvania under NCHA sponsorship.
One vital factor that lends great appeal to family camp-
ing is its economy. Lodging is the most expensive item of
any vacation, yet a family of six usually pays no more
than six dollars a week for a campsite, sometimes less, some-
times nothing! Add the slogan "How to rent a summer
home for six dollars a week" to your flyers about "Family
Vacation Night," and you certainly extend an intriguing
invitation! Better plan plenty of seating capacity for you
will have a crowd and you will have fun! LOUISE MARTIN
NESS, volunteer worker for the National Campers and
Hikers Association, Newark, New Jersey.
SUGGESTED CAMP SWIMMING REGULATIONS
1. No one is to enter the swimming area without checking
in and obtaining permission of a waterfront staff mem-
ber or person in charge of the buddy board.
2. All swimming to be done with a buddy of the same swim-
ming ability.
3. All signals must be immediately obeyed.
4. All persons must check in and out of the waterfront by
placing their buddy check on the proper board.
5. All changing of buddies, swimming areas, etcetera, must
be done at the board, each handling his own check.
;6. No running, pushing, or horseplay on piers or raft.
7. No one is to push, splash, or bother the lifeguards in any
way. Instructions from any lifeguard must be immedi-
ately obeyed. Any refusal to follow instructions while
on the waterfront will result in the suspension of water-
front privileges.
8. No one is allowed to swim under the piers, raft, or on
the far side of the rafts.
9. Any person who makes a false cry for help will be im-
mediately sent from the waterfront and have his water-
front privileges suspended for a period to be determined
by the waterfront director.
MARCH 1960
123
Part II
ACCENT ON YOUTH IN AS
A continuation of the story about
recreation in the Far East.
Sterling S. Wi:
ACHAND TARA club member in East Pakistan probably
lives in one of the sixty-four thousand villages of a
province that is one of the most heavily populated
areas of the world. Unlike his countryman in West Paki-
stan, from whom he is separated by a thousand miles or
more, he eats and helps grow rice, whereas his counterpart
is more interested in wheat. Both of these Pakistani have
many things in common one of them is a craving for a
chance to play and watch soccer football and field hockey.
But the delta country of East Pakistan, which is similar to
the state of Louisiana, does not always have a sport field
at every population center. So the recreation chairman of
a Chand Tara club, who could be either a boy or girl from
seven to nineteen years of age, finds his ingenuity some-
what stretched in leading activities for fifty to seventy com-
panions in a one-room school or a bamboo-and-matting
youth hut on a Saturday afternoon when everyone is full
of go.
At this point, he may turn for ideas to the village-aid
worker, employed by government as its link with youth
clubs, but primarily to help villages improve their economic
level, increase agricultural production, and enhance the
educational life of the people. The villagers know the worker
because he lives in one of the five to ten villages he serves
and makes his rounds by foot or sampan or, in the dry
season, by bicycle. Besides some ideas about the Chand
Tara club, the village elders may turn to the worker for
advice on vaccinating cattle, preventing poultry disease,
fertilizing rice fields, establishing a cooperative feed shop,
sanitizing a water well, or marketing fish. The village-aid
worker does not pretend to be a specialist in all of these
matters, nor even an expert in the organization and pro-
grams of youth clubs. But a government institute, set up
by Field Marshall Ayub Khan, has given him a year's train-
ing to be a "generalist" rather than a specialist in sev-
eral fields of activity close to village life.
Government envisions the extension of the village-aid
program and an increasing amount of attention to Chand
Tara clubs since only a portion of East Pakistan youth now
MR. WINANS, known to his friends in the recreation field as
"Skip," has been a recreation consultant in the Far East
since 1958 for the Asia Foundation, a private nonprofit or-
ganization with headquarters in San Francisco. At present,
he is working in Malaya at Kuala Lumpur as honorary rec-
reation advisor to the government.
124
Pakistani youth give a demonstration of "Kabodf at the
Children's Aid Society Lahori Gate Playground in Lahore.
have the opportunity to sew, knit, garden, raise poultry,
and fish with the inspiration of "doing something together"
with their peers. Chand Tara clubs are looked to by vil-
lage-aid officials as a program of nation building and as a
means of encouraging Muslim religious concepts, which are
part and parcel of the culture, economy, and political life
of Pakistan.
Singapore Is Young
The busy boulevards of the tropical island of Singapore
are full of beauty and of young people half the population
is under the age of twenty-one. You should be ready to talk
to these youth in Malay, since this language has been adopt-
ed officially by the new state government, but to really get ac-
quainted with all of these fine youngsters, you would need
to bring along your English, Tamil, Mandarin, or one of
several Chinese dialects. The million and a half people
living on the island's two hundred square miles, and on
adjacent islands, represent many nationalities. But differ-
ence in tongues does not keep boys and girls far apart in
the recreation experience at youth clubs first established
following World War II.
Each of the forty-five youth clubs operating during 1958-
59 was an autonomous body, with its own constitution ap-
proved by the government's Registrar of Societies and a
management committee made up of interested citizens.
Government and voluntary agencies were partners in the
plan. Club sponsorship, voluntary funds, and some leader-
ship came from the management committees (upplomentod
RECREATION
by some funds for improvement of premises and equipment
from the Ministry of Labor and Welfare (now named the
Ministry of Labor and Law) and timely advice from a staff
of men and women youth service officers.
Where can we get trained club leaders? Who are quali-
fied to instruct in sewing, folk dancing, woodworking, sing-
ing, basketball, and kuntow (Chinese art of self-defense) ?
Who will help us organize a new club? Will anyone lend
our club a movie projector or a public address system for
our Chinese New Year celebrations? Who will arrange an
interclub athletic meet? To supply these needs, the federa-
tions of Boys and Girls Clubs, organized several years ago,
have displayed commendable initiative. Their training
courses for volunteer leaders were so interesting that one
hundred young English- and Chinese-speaking adults strug-
gled through a three-month course of lectures and dem-
onstrations and hurdled a qualifying examination. The
government's annual financial grant of three thousand dol-
lars and provision of a headquarters office for the Federa-
tion of Boys Clubs helped strike a joint blow for youth and
club programs.
On almost any late afternoon or evening, you could find
boys, girls, or mixed clubs meeting in village halls, com-
munity centers, public housing buildings, or in rented
premises. If you wanted to be an onlooker at a club on the
evening of a talent show or an exhibition you had better
postpone your last cup of tea if you want to find breathing
space. Even the club leader's desk will be crowded. On a
normal evening sixty members would be an average attend-
ance.
Through the Federation of Boys Clubs, leaders and ac-
tivity instructors received a monthly honorarium from the
government of about thirty-five to fifty dollars to cover
transportation and incidental expenses. Activity special-
ists were compensated on an hourly basis. To encourage
young citizens in the idea that club membership is some-
thing to be respected, the two hundred or more members of
each club paid a minimal monthly membership fee of ten
cents.
This is not the whole story. During 1958-59, many of
the clubs received guidance and some help in improvements
and equipment from units of the British Royal Navy, Army,
and Royal Air Force. From this interchange of experience,
at a personal level, both club members and several men and
their families seemed to profit. And so did the everyday
policeman who made a monthly contribution to a fund for
the support of specific clubs. Rotary Club, Junior Chamber
of Commerce, and other civic organizations underlined their
interest in youth clubs in a substantial way, as did the
Asia Foundation.
Small quarters for a youth club are not a significant de-
terrent to intensive use, especially by youngsters who are
not in school or who are unemployed. Although the stand-
ard of living in Singapore is relatively high as compared
to other Asian countries, the new state government, under
its young premier, Lee Quan Yew, is striving to increase
employment opportunities for both youth and adults. Vo-
cational pursuits of youth clubs may be a cog in this con-
structive effort of a new state struggling to find itself.
Students at the Home Economics College for Women, Lahore,
Pakistan, beat out some rhythm on improvised instruments.
Voices in Unison
Government and voluntary agencies are attuned to the
value of recreation experiences for boys and girls as ex-
pressed in the accent on youth in several Asian countries.
Between recreation experience, on the one hand, and a
scheme of recreation activities, on the other, the differential
seems to hang on how much stress is levied on the prepara-
tion and quality of leaders. Whatever may be the must
qualifications of their leaders, clubs for youths between the
ages of ten and twenty-one years spice their programs with
much more than sports. Making things, putting on plays,
singing, playing instrumental music, dancing, picnics and
excursions, and, in some countries, camping together are
prominent features of programs that vary from a once-a-
month menu to a daily diet.
The government's stress on youth is reflected in direct
subsidies to clubs or grants to federations of clubs, pro-
viding equipment or leadership or all of them for club
premises. A striking observation is that most countries
are now giving professional status to the club leader. If
activities are to be merged into enriching experiences,
guidance of clubs cannot rest wholly on the shifting avail-
ability of volunteers, however dedicated. The stress on
agricultural development in many communities has given
a healthy and earthy tinge to youth club organization and
program. Some clubs orient their programs to the voca-
tional interests of their members and to language instruc-
tion and informal education. In Hong Kong, for example,
youth clubs serve as food distribution and relief centers.
Spaciousness, esthetic appeal, and -functional design are
sought by youth leaders for club premises in community
buildings, social welfare centers, public housing estates,
schools, rented quarters, and, sometimes, converted busi-
ness or residential quarters. The minimum in facilities and
equipment usually prevails, but from these Asian countries
one can learn some lessons about the intensive use of lim-
ited space and supplies.
Wherever and however clubs are organized, youth has
the magnetism to attract the interest and help of the very
finest citizens. An accent on youth is inevitable in the voice
of any people. $:
MARCH 1960
125
FUN WITH NATURE
Exploring the exciting miracles of
nature is not only fun, but ex-
poses eager young participants
to the wonders of science and the de-
lights of discovery. Many new doors of
interest are thrown wide, and young
eyes are opened. Curiosity is rewarded
with a heightened awareness of the
world around us. In fact, nature activi-
ties have been known to lead to related
careers in science, conservation, and
other fields.
How to Look Inside a Pond
It is rather difficult to look inside a
body of water because the water reflects
light and makes it hard to see below the
surface. Make a waterscope and use it
to peer into the water without even get-
ting your hair or face wet. The simplest
waterscope is just a large glass jar that
you submerge halfway in the water.
^
Look down through the open top of the
jar and perhaps you will see fish and
other water animals. The glass bottom
will magnify everything.
If you have a stovepipe handy one
about two feet long you can make a
better waterscope, which will go deeper
into the water. At the bottom end of
the pipe attach a circular piece of plate
glass with some putty. If you buy the
glass in a hardware store, you might
have it cut out for you there. Be sure
to let the putty dry before you put your
scope into the water.
Also be sure to tape the top of the
pipe so the sharp edges won't scratch
you when you press your face against it.
Reprinted with permission from 101
Best Nature Games and Projects, by
LILLIAN and GODFREY FRANKEL. (New
York: Sterling Publishing, $2.50). Mr.
Frankel is a director of the Jewish
Community Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
126
Use your scope when you are in a row-
boat or on a float or bank.
Observation
Here's another observation-type
game to play on a hike. The group
walks along in single file, with an adult
or one of the players acting as leaders.
The leader asks the first player in
line (loud enough for all to hear) :
"What is this?" pointing to an oak
tree. If the player knows he gives the
answer in a loud voice and remains at
the head of the line. If he doesn't know
the answer, he goes to the end of the
line. The leader then asks the same
question of the next player in line, and
so on until he gets the right answer.
Then he asks another nature question of
the player who has answered correctly
and has remained at the head. There are
no points awarded in this game. The
object is simply to stay at the head of
the line as long as possible.
Observation can also be played when
your group is around a campfire or in
a club room. The leader asks questions
of each player in turn, but in this case
a player receives a point for each right
answer. The leader keeps asking a
player nature questions until he misses,
then he goes to the next player, etcetera.
Often these games develop into stim-
ulating discussions on some curious
phase of nature activity.
How to Keep from Getting Lost
in the Woods
1. Know the area where you are hik-
ing. Draw a simple map showing groves
of trees, clearings, streams, hills, large
rocks, and lakes. Show the trails you
will take. Mark off the spot you will use
as headquarters for camping, resting,
or just getting together. With your
compass to guide you, mark off direc-
tions north, south, east, and west. See
that each member of the group has a
copy of the map. Along with the map
be sure to have some chalk, small slips
of paper, tacks, safety matches, and, of
course, a compass. These things will
come in handy just in case you do get
lost.
2. There may be times when you hike
in an area that is unfamiliar to you.
If you have no map the first time you
cover this territory, you can use another
plan to get back to your meeting place.
As you hike along, mark with chalk
about every fifth tree in your line of
walk. Draw a circle around the trunk.
3. If you decide to leave the path
and veer off in another direction, mark
an arrow on a tree, rock, or stump, or
make one out of stones on the ground.
Point the arrow in the direction you
have turned. If you don't have chalk,
use your notepaper and tack it to vari-
ous trees.
4. In winter, when there is snow on
the ground, you can simply retrace your
own tracks in the snow.
5. Watch the sun for directions. For
example, if the sun is setting you can
determine where west is. By facing west
you will be able to ascertain all your
directions, because then north would be
at your right, south at your left, and
east would be behind you.
Froggie Ride
If you and your friends would like
to have some fun watching frogs in a
pond go "boat riding," you can rig up
a little contraption like this one. Get
a small board about three by two feet.
In the center set up a lighted candle.
You can make it stand upright by let-
ting some of the wax drip on the board
and then sink the candle in its own
drippings, or you can set the candle in
some clay. Attach a string to a nail in
the board.
At night, set the board afloat, holding
on to one end of the string. The light
will attract the frogs and some may
even hop on the board for a ride. You
can pull slowly on the string and board
and frogs will come toward you for a
closer glimpse. #
RECREATION
A
PROGRESSIVE
CAMPING
PROGRAM
Where the lucky camper can graduate from
a traveling day camp to eight days
of overnight camping in the mountains.
THE FINAL PHASE of a three-step
progressive camping program
was completed by the Torrance
Recreation Department this past sum-
mer with the realization of an eight-day
established camping session at Big Bear
Lake, California. This three-step pro-
gram enables children to advance from
the most elementary camping skills to
advanced camping techniques.
The first step is an introductory two-
hour session known as the traveling day
camp. The camp staff visits each school
and park early in the summer, in hopes
and all children above six years of age
are welcome.
The second phase is day camping,
which is coed and limited to the seven-
to-twelve-year-age group. The charge is
five dollars. Four five-day camping ses-
sions are held at various parks in Tor-
rance during the summer. A session
begins on Tuesday and concludes on
the following Saturday after breakfast.
The campers arrive at 10 AM and return
home at 4 PM every day except Friday,
when they stay overnight to try out
their newly acquired camping skills.
of stimulating interest and enthusiasm
for the camping program. A simple
craft item is made by each child, and
flyers explaining both day and moun-
tain camp are distributed. The children
are exposed to camp life through craft
display boards, lashing demonstrations,
live animals borrowed from the city
pound, survival techniques, nature
games, animal traps, etcetera. There is
no charge for the traveling day camp,
Miss LINK is a recreation leader in the
Torrance, California, recreation depart-
ment. This city is an All- American City
-award winner.
These sessions include all basic camp-
ing skills, survival techniques, crafts
using native materials, cooking, and an
all-day field trip.
The final phase of this program, is
an eight-day mountain camp-out at Big
Bear Lake. Most of the children par-
ticipating in the mountain camp pro-
gram attend one or more of the day-
camp sessions, and are ready for the
experience of eight days in camp.
Mountain camp is limited to the nine-
to-thirteen-coed-age group. The thirty-
dollar rate includes meals, housing,
swimming and boating instruction,
Diane Link craft items, horseback riding, classes in
basic and advanced camping skills, and
a well-trained and enthusiastic staff with
an interest in developing the skills and
integrity of the campers.
Day Camp
Early in July, after all the parks and
playgrounds of Torrance had been in-
troduced to camping by the traveling
day camp, the camping staff began a
series of four day-camp sessions. These
sessions, lasting five days and one night,
are designed to give the child as much
camping experience as possible within
a limited time and situation i.e. five
days in a city environment. Regular
classes in basic camping skills are in-
terspersed with games related to the
outdoors. At the end of the session
campers spend the night in a real camp-
ing situation to try out their new skills.
Areas that seemed to attract interest
and enthusiasm were the craft program,
isolated games, and the overnight ex-
perience. The craft program was de-
signed, not around those crafts ordinar-
ily available in the city, but around
items that could easily be made in the
mountains from natural materials. The
staff spent one day in the mountains
early in the summer collecting man-
zanita, pine cones, and other materials
which could be incorporated in the craft
program. From these, the campers
made candle holders, book ends, name
pins, earrings, medallions, and tie rings.
Candle holders were produced from a
piece of manzanita approximately one
foot long, having a three-inch diameter
and an irregular shape. Three holes
were drilled on the top for the candles.
It was sanded, lacquered, and candles
inserted. Book ends were made from
uniform pieces of wood (V&" by 4" by
5") gathered by the staff from homes
being built around the area. Two pieces
of wood are needed to produce one book
end. They are sanded well and ham-
mered together to form an L. A pine
cone is glued to the bottom of the L,
cone and wood are lacquered. For
variety a small piece of manzanita is
placed on the other half of the pair in-
stead of the pine cone. Earrings, pins,
name tags, and tie rings can be made
from varied sizes of manzanita cut
"MARCH 1960
127
against the grain. After these small
round pieces of wood have been well
sanded, they can be decorated with tiny
delicate shells, macaroni, small bits of
rope tied in interesting knots, India ink,
paint, and so on. After decorating, ap-
ply lacquer and pin backings, tie rings,
or whatever is required for completion.
Two games proved most popular in
all four of the day-camp sessions, one
of which involved using a compass.
The day campers were divided into two
teams and each was given a piece of
paper with a trail on it to follow. Each
team had the same distance to travel
and same number of compass changes.
The trail was laid ahead of time by the
staff, and both teams ended at the same
point. Compass use was thoroughly ex-
plained beforehand. Each number on
the trail list included a direction and
the number of paces they should go.
The campers sighted the given direction
on their compasses and proceeded the
correct number of steps in that direc-
tion. If they miscalculated, they were
forced to go back to the previous point.
The results of a day-camp program
of this type more than justify the time
and effort of production. The campers
took home with them not only a com-
pletely new experience and many basic
camping skills (survival techniques,
compass and map reading, knowledge
of various plants and trees, fire build-
ing, care and use of knife and hatchet,
craft ideas using native materials, bed
rolling, cookery, trail blazing, and new
songs), but, most important, they went
home enthusiastic and with a better un-
derstanding of the outdoors.
the
over to
which was
Mountain Camp
The enthusiasm initiated by the day-
camp program carried
mountain-camp program
held during the last week of August at
Big Bear Lake, known as Camp Clat-
awa. This program was geared to a
slightly older group nine to thirteen
years of age and more advanced skills
were taught in scheduled morning and
afternoon sessions. These were quite
flexible classes, chosen by campers, and
included signaling, compass work, ba-
sic and advanced fire building, crafts,
swimming and boating, horseback rid-
ing, knife and hatchet, knots and lash-
ing, first aid, and methods of wilderness
survival.
Again, crafts using native materials
were greatly enjoyed. Special hikes
were taken to gather small pine cones,
bits of smooth driftwood, colored rocks,
dainty ferns, etcetera, to be incorpo-
rated in craft items. Transparent, glass-
like coasters and bowls were created by
putting an even film of lucite crystals
over a metal mold in the desired shape.
Metal cottage-cheese lids or jar covers
make ideal molds. Bits of driftwood,
small fern leaves, rocks, etcetera were
then placed on the lucite and baked in
a 400 oven for five minutes.
Another popular program was the
"Cat's Eye Hike." This novelty hike is
held at night and creates enthusiasm
and high spirits. The campers are di-
vided into teams and start at intervals
of ten minutes. Each team is timed.
The team that follows the Cat's Eye trail
to the end in the shortest period of time
wins. The trail is marked by fluorescent
tape on rocks, trees, and stumps. The
gleam of the campers' flashlights picks
up the tape and reveals a note directing
them to the general area of the next
piece of tape and clue note.
At the concluding campfire, the staff
asked the campers what activities they
enjoyed most. The answers were quite
amazing. They enjoyed having a camp
council representative, which made
them feel really part of program plan-
ning. These representatives were elect-
ed from the cabin groups and acted
both as cabin leader and liaison with
the staff. Each representative met with
his own cabin group and made an ex-
tensive list of activities wanted while at
Camp Clatawa. The staff then met with
the representatives and tempered the
campers' desires into a well-balanced
camp program.
Staff
The entire camping program was
planned and operated by a staff of four
this past summer: a school teacher and
three college students, all of whom had
extensive background in both camping
techniques and leadership. When this
staff was not visiting the various parks
and playgrounds with the traveling
day camp early in the summer, they
were busily kneading out the lumps in
their day-camp and mountain-camp
program. #
PROTECTION AGAINST LIGHTNING DURING STORMS
Lightning is a statistical phenomenon and its exact be-
havior under any specific circumstance cannot be predicted.
There are certain precautions that can be taken in case of
a storm, however.
1. Avoid a completely exposed location on top of hill or
mountain.
2. Avoid a location close to isolated trees since they are apt
to be struck and sideflash.
3. Locate the camp within or near a place where there are
a number of trees, preferably smaller than the others, a
short distance away. In this way the chances of a direct hit
at the campsite are greatly reduced. If, however, a direct
hit should occur, danger to life exists.
There is only one way to make sure that the campsite it-
self is not struck. String a #6 wire between the trees over
the campsite. This wire should be at least twelve feet long,
above the highest ground. It should hang down the trees to
ground at both ends and trail ten to twenty feet along the
ground, away from the campsite. This may sound fantastic.
but it is the only safe way. The probability of lightning's
striking any specific spot is so slight that, in general. \<T\
few persons want to carry a spool of wire along for this
purpose.
Use of an aluminum canoe in the woods does not create
any special hazard. In case of storm, however, it is recom-
mended that you pull up on shore, get out of tlic ranor. and
camp in a grove of trees, if available, or lie prone if you are
on open ground, until the storm has passed. J. H.
GUTH, Pittsfield General Electric High Voltage
Laboratory, Massachusetts.
128
RECREATION
Water to wade in ;
to camp beside.
DON'T TAKE THE
PLAYGROUND
TO CAMP
Catherine T. Hammett
WHAT MAKES A camp a camp?
No two people will say the
same thing, even if both have
been in the same camp, but most people
will start with two words: people and
the out-of-doors. Campers, staff mem-
bers, committee members will make
lists that include trees, turtles, swim-
ming, campfires, hills, open spaces, fun,
rocks, boating, adventures, singing, na-
ture just to begin the list. Few will
include apartment houses, fences, city
parks, playgrounds, streets, schools,
museums all of which do wonderfully
for us all through most of the year, but
somehow are to be left behind when we
head for that place called camp, be it
a day camp, a weekend camp, a two-
week, or an all-summer camp.
Miss HAMMETT is past-president of the
American Camping Association; coau-
thor, with Virginia Musselman, of The
Camp Program Book (Association
Press) and author of other camping
books. She is currently on the national
staff of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Camp is where all of nature is close
at hand to give life a new dimension.
Youngsters think mainly in terms of
activities, of fun, of doing things that
are "different" as well as those that are
familiar, of doing things with other
boys and girls. Adults add benefits that
come from the living situation in an
informal happy setting. Parents may
think in terms of health, of skills for
their children difficult for parents to
give them, such as canoeing, mountain
climbing, cooking out, and the like.
About this time of year, camp direc-
tors are busy selling camp to campers,
parents, staff members, perhaps, to
board members. We talk about camp
as a place that is special, that adds
something to the in-town, year-round,
school, church, home, and club activity.
We talk about taking advantage of
the whole outdoors to experience new
things, to enjoy those activities that
cannot be experienced to the same de-
gree, if at all, in town; we talk about
the living situation in a camper-geared
community where young America may
practice democracy at his own experi-
ence level. We say all this, but some-
times when reports come back it seems
all camps do not take advantage of the
situation. Sometimes it seems that the
playground (wonderful as it is for the
stay-in-the-city boys and girls) has been
transplanted to camp.
Perhaps that is a black picture. Let's
hope that your camp and mine really
lake advantage of the uniqueness of
the camping situation. For camps are
unique: they aren't homes in the usual
sense, they aren't playgrounds, they
aren't schools, they aren't in-town cen-
ters. They are camps, combining many
elements to make a special place for
special gains. Camps are places where
the outdoors predominates (even sur-
rounds) ; where the tempo is relaxed;
where clothes are informal, easy to care
for, easy to wear ; where the waterfront
is just down the trail; where there are
counselors close at hand to help, to
guide, to teach, to be around all day,
although they sometimes keep hands
carefully off a project. Camp is where
all of nature is close at hand, present-
ing fascinating possibilities: snails or
polliwogs or raccoons to watch; water
lo swim in, to boat on, or to look
through with a waterscope. Camp is
where you build fires to cook over or
to sit around; make shelters; have hills
to climb ; find twigs for whistles or pins
or towel racks. Camp has the Big Dip-
per swinging overhead; rain to walk in
or to combat; horizons or setting suns
to scan all outdoors!
Why call it a camp, if one doesn't
camp there? Do we keep faith with our
young people when we offer them
chances to camp, and don't give them
opportunities to experience the joys, the
adventures, the wonder that comes of
discovering how to live in and with the
out-of-doors and how to love it? Do
we keep faith with parents, with educa-
tors, with our country if we do not make
the most of the opportunities to give
our campers experiences living with
others? Do we give them the chance
to grow in independence, to gain a
knowledge of and respect for the na-
tural resources of our land.
Camping can offer situations for ex-
ceptional experiences in growing, and
in growing-up. Do we make the most
of it? #
MARCH 1960
129
RECREATION
AFLOAT
William H. Radke
The phenomenal growth in popularity of small boating
calls for water-safety education at the grass roots.
OUTBOARD BOATING IN America
has taken unbelievable postwar
popularity strides to become a
front-ranking recreation interest. Per-
haps the greatest single factor in its
favor is that boating is generally family
recreation and we professionals have
placed family recreation on the critical-
need list. Also, outboarding is a par-
ticipation sport.
The Brookfield, Illinois, playground
and recreation department has recog-
nized this latent boating value. This vil-
lage, without navigable waters, agreed
that the recreation department should
offer guidance in boating to enthusias-
tic youngsters as a means of providing
both recreation for the present and edu-
cation for the future.
A neighboring community had the
navigable but small DesPlaines river.
An enterprising boater had opened a
nearby sales-and-service shop with a
floating service dock. Contact with the
new businessman found him enthusias-
tically willing to conduct an eight-week
course in outboarding. He offered his
shop as a classroom and his dock and
boat as a proving ground for the lessons
and himself as the instructor all free.
Together we drew up a program sched-
ule of topics for inclusion in eight one-
hour meetings.
With a basic plan to teach rules of
outboard operation safety, care, and
maintenance the Outboard Boating
Club of America was contacted for ad-
Ma. RADKE is recreation superintend-
ent of the playground and recreation
department in Brookfield, Illinois.
vice and assistance, and was quick to
recognize the value of this course to
boys and girls in the twelve- to sixteen-
age bracket. OBC offered help with
pamphlet material, films, consultation,
and program presentation.
This combination produced an in-
formative and workable course cover-
ing basic fundamentals of outboarding
as well as experience on the water in a
learning situation. Eight lessons were
assigned the following general head-
ings, which may be supplemented by
free films from several sources: (1)
history of outboarding, lecture plus
film; (2) types of boat construction and
discussion of advantages as to weight,
durability, cost and maintenance; (3)
what boat is best for an individual and
a water-skiing demonstration; (4) nau-
tical nomenclature and safety rules;
(5) matching motors and boats, safety
factors, on-the-water experience; (6)
safety rules and equipment, on-the-
water experience; (7) how to select,
use, and maintain a boat trailer; and
(8) summary review of general main-
tenance and care of boats and motors.
Classes were originally restricted to
twenty-five members. In consideration
of "attendance fallout" for vacations
and so on, we added a few as the season
progressed. Here, under close supervi-
sion, members were afloat and operat-
ing an outboard the first time for
most of them.
Members of our weekly classes en-
dorsed the course by such comments as :
"Gee, I hope I can get Dad interested in
this," and "Gotta start saving for a
boat!" The marine dealer supports the
class wholeheartedly and is already
planning to add a room to his establish-
ment for meetings of groups such as
this. He has agreed to do an adult class
next spring, as well as a second summer
program for the junior boaters.
Brookfield's outboard boating class
seems to be the first really landlocked
recreation program to join forces with
an enthusiastic marine dealer and OBC,
seemingly the first to bring to the
younger set information they will use
and value as they become part of Amer-
ica's nearly eight million boaters and
this at no cost to the recreation depart-
ment. (For further information on how
Americans are taking to life afloat see
Page 120.)
Boating can be enjoyed at all finan-
cial levels, from the simplest outboard-
powered rowboat to the fancy family
cruiser. The absence of local navigable
waters has been circumvented by the
development of safe and sturdy boat
trailers that know the highway maps as
their only limitations. Outboarding, a
great relaxer for all ages, is also a step
toward other equally absorbing recre-
ation interests including cruising, water-
skiing, swimming, fishing, and skin
diving. Like camping, boating is an
ideal activity for the family.
Look over your community do you
see boating enthusiasts? Is there some
way of combining forces with a local
know-how man? You can have a worth-
uliilc activity on a minimum budget
and meet the challenge of a growing
public interest. #
130
RECREATION
NOTES for the ADMINISTRATOR
Land-Use Planning
A number of resolutions relating to park and recreation
problems were adopted at the 1959 Southeastern Park and
Recreation Planning, Maintenance and Operations Work-
shop, held at the North Carolina State College, cosponsored
by six state recreation agencies. Following are excerpts of
some of these resolutions:
(In) city, regional, state, and Federal land-use planning,
emphasis (should) be placed on the public acquisition of
land so that adequate provision will be made in all such plan-
ning to meet the great present and ever greater necessity of the
future for public park and recreation areas, and further, that
all proposals to divert park and recreation lands to other
uses be impartially analyzed and studied to determine whether
or not such proposals are, in fact, in the long-range public in-
terest, and that diversion of park and recreation lands to other
uses be permitted only if such diversion is found to be essen-
tial in the long-range public interest, and only if land so di-
verted to other uses is replaced by land of such quality and so
located as to serve that population which is deprived of park
and recreation services by diversion of park and recreation
land to other uses.
The group further resolved that the sponsors of the work-
shop "make a seven-state study of vandalism, including the
extent to which it exists, what facilities and/or equipment
are subject to vandalism, practices effective in reducing
vandalism, and an overall analysis." It further enunciated
its support of the following policy:
That there be established in every state of the Union an
agency with legal authority and with its primary concern, on
a full-time basis, services to the field of recreation. That where
constitutionally possible, this state agency be established as a
separate and independent agency. . . .
That where existing agencies are now serving recreation in
some special capacity these practices continue, and that a pro-
gram of cooperation with the legal recreation authority be
established through a recreation interagency committee de-
signed to correlate and coordinate the various functions.
The following resolution dealing with metropolitan and
county planning for recreation was likewise adopted:
Whereas if it is found to be more efficient and if it is dis-
covered to provide greater present community services through
cooperative use of recreation and education areas and facilities
such should be promoted, but in no case is it agreed that joint
operation of either recreation or education programs would be
in the greatest common interest of the community, and
Whereas it is further agreed, based on considerable experi-
ence, that recreation program aspects which are held in or on
school or other local government-owned areas and facilities
can, only, be considered as supplementary, in a full recreation
program, to that which is centered in those areas and facilities
which are acquired, owned, developed and operated, specific-
ally, for public recreation purposes and which are available at
all times, as service resources, to the local government's rec-
reation, agency, and
Whereas it is agreed that one of our greatest local citizen-
needs will be served, only, when municipal recreation and park
programs are expanded into metropolitan and/or city-county
combination plans of recreation finance, organization and ad-
ministration in agencies whose primary purposes and basic
reasons for existence are to serve the recreation needs of local
citizens. . . .
Coordinated Planning
The importance of overall coordinated planning of Amer-
ican cities and individual neighborhoods was pointed out
in Forum (May 1959) in an article by James W. Rouse,
president of ACTION (American Committee to Improve
Our Neighborhoods). He stated: "A major consideration
in every public improvement contemplated by the city
should be its effect on the construction or destruction of
neighborhoods." After referring to the significant high-
way developments that are certain to be achieved in the
next ten or fifteen years, he added: "Other public works
schools, parks, playgrounds, hospitals must also be con-
sidered for their effect upon neighborhood formation, not
merely as isolated departmental projects in themselves."
In commenting on the importance of the comprehensive
plan, he added: "I am convinced that it is a far more prac-
tical, achievable thing to plan for the whole city than it is
to plan small and in pieces. . . . Consider the huge savings
to local government if needs are properly projected and sites
for schools, public buildings, parks, and highways are plot-
ted and acquired well in advance of need, before land be-
comes highly developed and prices become prohibitive."
Local Children Get Pool Priority
Through changes in fee schedules, children of local tax-
payers are gaining some priority in the use of the municipal
swimming pool at Monroe, Wisconsin. Nonresident ele-
mentary-grade students pay single admissions of twenty
cents and residents ten cents; those of high-school age
pay twenty-five cents and fifteen cents, respectively; and
adults, fifty and twenty-five cents. Season tickets for ele-
mentary-school children also are higher for nonresidents.
There are no season tickets available for other out-of-town
age groups. Identification cards are issued to Monroe resi-
dents who use the daily fee admissions.
The increase in resident and nonresident charges resulted
from higher operating costs as well as a growing number of
complaints over children coming by busloads from out of
town and crowding the pool to capacity while local children
waited in line. A survey of thirty-five other pools in the
state showed both fees and attendants' salaries were on the
low side in Monroe. Park Maintenance, October 1959.
REQUEST PRICES
FREE LITERATURE & SPECIFICATIONS
* Playground Equipment & Playground Plans
* Basketball Backstops
Indoor & Outdoor Type
* Bleachers
Gymnasium & Athletic Field
* Trampolins
Choice of 14 models
* Score Boards For Every Sport
CHAMPION RECREATION EQUIP. INC.
HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS
MARCH 1960
131
ARE YOU
LOOKING FOR
CAMP LAND?
Stanley W. Stocker
MANY ADMINISTRATORS AND leaders in the recreation
field have forgotten, or are unaware of, the poten-
tial camp lands now in the hands of state and fed-
eral government agencies that still can be had for the asking
or very little more. In almost every state in the union areas
are available that might be considered by town, city, and
state recreation departments for community use.
State and federal governments are apt to give group
camping use of these lands a high priority, their interest in
recreation use of lands going back as far as the founding
of Yosemite Park and Mariposa Big Tree Grove, in 1864.
This is especially true when the camp is to be operated by
a recreation department and open to individual campers as
well as to organized groups.
As we all know, available lands for camping are rapidly
decreasing, even at high prices. Therefore, the availability
of public lands should be thoroughly explored before any
other arrangements are made. As a general premise, tax-
supported agencies will have first priority; nonprofit agen-
cies and organizations may also obtain use of such lands,
at a slightly lower priority.
As of January 1, 1955, there were 308 group camps on
public, state-owned lands reported, with a capacity of
35,546. Current reports indicate that many of these camps
are not used to capacity at present, and that open time ex-
isted last summer. A total of 2,074,765 use days were re-
ported in 1958.
Some of the states have built new camps for group-camp
use in the past few years, and many have new group sites
in the planning stages to be activated when the demand
arises. Any recreation department considering a camping
program should certainly initiate early talks with various
state park and forest officials in their home state as well as
in surrounding states.
The federal government agencies offering possible lands
for organization camping are: the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment, the Forest Service, the Corps of Engineers, the Ten-
nessee Valley Authority, the Bureau of Reclamation, Fish
and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service. The
policies and priorities for each of these agencies vary and
require direct contact with their local or national offices
for further information.
MR. STOCKER, executive director of the Metropolitan New
York Council, American Youth Hostels, recently completed
the American Camping Association's national survey of
youth camps.
132
Bureau of Land Management The lands involved with the
Bureau of Land Management are primarily in the Western
states. Recreation use of these lands may be requested by
nonprofit corporations and associations and government
agencies. No actual facilities are managed by the bureau
for camping use. Application for information and proce-
dures to obtain the special land-use permits should be made
to the State Supervisor, Bureau of Land Management, in
the Western states having such offices, or directly to the
Eastern States Supervisor, Bureau of Land Management,
Department of the Interior, Washington 25, D. C.
Forest Service -The U. S. Forest Service owns some 71
organization camps on Forest Service lands and had 644
special-use permit holders operating organization camps in
1958. Organizations are permitted to construct group
camps at suitable locations in the national forests. These
permits require construction of fairly substantial camps,
adequate sanitation, and compliance with other standards
deemed wise to protect the forest as well as the users. Sites
available in the national forest regions are well situated and
offer excellent campsites. The forest supervisor has the
authority to issue special-use permits and can advise inter-
ested parties as to the requirements and conditions for the
issuance of a special-use permit. Full information about
the available areas and sites can be obtained from the spe-
cific supervisor of a forest or the regional forester at any
of the ten regional offices.
The land-use fees for nonprofit groups are at a minimum,
often a dollar a year. All organization camp operators are
expected to make full use of their camps or to allow other
groups to use them for a charge commensurate with facili-
ties provided. The general basis for action on special-use
permits where more than one group is involved is to give
the authorization to the group planning a program for the
greatest number of persons.
Corps of Engineers The Corps of Engineers manages only
one campsite for organization use, but has two hundred
organization camps located under lease or license agree-
ments on these properties. These organization camps range
from simple tent facilities to well-constructed and developed
year-round campsites. The various district engineers can
supply information on any site in their own areas and on
the general conditions of licenses and leases. The fees in-
volved are very nominal for nonprofit, youth-serving groups
and others providing service to the general public.
Tennessee Valley Authority The TVA's lands provide
good potential areas for organization camping use. Thirty-
six group camps were reported in 1958 on the areas under
its control. These lands may be sold or leased to quasi-
public groups and organizations for recreation use. The
prevailing market values are used in the negotiations, but
adjustments are made for the public service the group pro-
vides or will provide. Information may be obtained by
writing to the Division of Reservoir Properties, Tennessee
Valley Authority, Knoxville, Tennessee.
Bureau of Reclamation In seventeen Western states, tin-
bureau operates over one hundred reservoirs, which offer
RECREATION
excellent potential areas for organized camping. As a gen-
eral rule, operation of recreation sites at these areas is
transferred to the most appropriate state department. Lease
arrangements on a limited basis are possible on the areas
that have not been transferred from the jurisdiction of the
bureau. However, full information can be obtained from
the Regional Director of the Bureau of Reclamation for the
areas involved. The National Park Service has the respon-
sibility for developing a master plan for recreation for each
of these reservoirs. The regional director of the National
Park Service for the area involved may be contacted for
information about these plans.
Fish and Wildlife Service Organization camps are al-
lowed, under permit, on national wildlife refuges, but less
than thirty have been authorized to date. These areas cer-
tainly should be considered by local groups and preliminary
talks initiated with the refuge manager. Applications may
be approved when the primary purpose for which the refuge
was established will not be interfered with. The address of
the refuge manager may be obtained from the regional of-
fice that has jurisdiction over the one involved.
National Park Service The service operates seven camps
maintained for use by various nonprofit groups conducting
group camping for children. Possibilities for the construc-
tion of organization camps exist on the national recreation
areas Lake Mead, Coulee Dam, and Shadow Mountain
(in Rocky Mountain National Park). Groups interested
should write the superintendents of these areas.
* * *
Additional information about these opportunities for the
use of existing organization campsites, as well as special
arrangements for the constructing of camps, should be ob-
tained before deciding upon any new sites for camping
programs. The addresses of the proper officials may be ob-
tained by writing to the department indicated, Washington
25, D. C., with a request for the proper address and name
of the official in charge. Each federal agency has published
material explaining these services in greater detail. With
the ever-increasing land costs and operating budgets, the
use of public lands should be fully explored by each com-
munity agency before further expanding its camping areas
for group use. #
MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS
Three-fourths of 126 replies in a study report indicate that
municipal recreation departments have their own maintenance division.
A STUDY OF THE cost of maintaining recreation and park
areas facilities was made in 1958 by a subcommittee
of the National Recreation Association's National
Advisory Committee on Recreation Administration. Sub-
committee chairman is Lome C. Rickert, superintendent of
recreation in Wicomico County, Maryland. The subcom-
mittee's report is based on replies received from 126 cities
(many supplied only partial information).
Respondent cities cover a population range from 4,000
to more than 2,000,000; only three, however, have popula-
tions under 25,000; more than half are over 50,000. All
sections of the country are represented. Replies are equally
divided between recreation agencies and park or combined
recreation-and-park departments; eight reports were re-
ceived from school authorities and a few returns from other
community agencies.
Three-fourths of the agencies indicated they have their
own maintenance division. As might be expected, 82 per-
cent of the park or combined reereation-and-park agencies
have such a division, 70 percent of the recreation depart-
ments, and 50 percent of the school authorities likewise
have one. Maintenance work is usually handled by park or
public works departments when the recreation agency is
not equipped to handle it. Slightly less than half the cities
stated they have an active preventive maintenance program.
The impression given is that available manpower must be
used to keep up with day-to-day tasks.
Such minor betterments as installation of drinking foun-
tains, new fencing, and small hard-surface areas are con-
sidered maintenance items in most cities. The regular
maintenance force usually takes care of them, although pri-
vate contractors are called in occasionally.
Duty hours of the maintenance crew coincide with hours
of operation of recreation areas in about half the cities;
the coincidence is more marked among recreation agencies
(62%) than among park or combined departments (40%).
When special programs are conducted outside regular hours
of operation of the area, about three-fourths of the depart-
ments supply maintenance personnel. Half the cities sup-
ply such workers on a split-day basis.
Such routine tasks as lining fields, installing light bulbs,
and dragging baselines and infield are nearly always per-
formed by maintenance workers; so usually is the setting
up of chairs, though recreation leaders perform this task
more often than the other three. Both maintenance workers
and recreation leaders are responsible for removal of haz-
ardous obstacles; this is primarily a maintenance duty, but
if a recreation leader discovers such a condition, he is ex-
pected to rectify it.
In preparing a facility for immediate programing, rec-
MARCH 1960
133
reation leaders have authority over the maintenance as-
signee in only about a quarter of the cities. This authority
is usually vested in the maintenance supervisor, a foreman,
or department executive. On the other hand, in the absence
of the recreation leader, maintenance workers have au-
thority over the facility and its users in three-fourths of the
cities, although it occasionally was stated this authority is
limited.
Less than half the reporting agencies keep performance
records of individual maintenance men to ascertain how
much time each spends on such operations as mowing grass,
scarifying fields, lining ball diamonds, and so forth. Three-
fourths indicated they do not record cost of such work as
scarifying and matting an area or keep performance data,
such as the number of diamonds scarified and matted per
day. Likewise, very few agencies keep cost records of main-
taining specific facilities. Where such figures were given,
they varied widely from city to city; for example, the an-
nual maintenance cost for a softball diamond with a skinned
infield varied from $30 to $2,000. However, median an-
nual maintenance cost of a baseball diamond appears to
be slightly less than $300, regardless of whether the infield
is turfed or skinned.
Respondents were asked to estimate cost and number of
man-hours per year necessary to maintain each of three
hypothetical areas. The first area was described as a one-
and-a-half-to-two-acre playground with a shelter building,
softball field, two apparatus areas, a multipurpose, hard-
surface area, and a paved spray area. The median estimate
of maintenance time for this area was 720 man-hours per
year, although the individual reports varied from 25 to 7.680
man-hours. Maintenance costs per area varied from $60
to $17,280, with a median of $1,456.
For a three-to-four-acre neighborhood playground con-
taining a recreation building, baseball field, two apparatus
areas, a multipurpose hard-surface area, and a spray area,
median time estimate was 1,2161/2 man-hours. Maintenance
costs varied from $100 to $21,000, with a median of $2,706.
The largest area, a nine-to-ten-acre playfield with a rec-
reation building, baseball field, two softball fields, two ap-
paratus areas, multipurpose hard-surface area, spray area,
and six hard-surface tennis courts, would require mainte-
nance time of some 2,180 man-hours per year, according
to the estimates of recreation and park executives. Here
again, individual cost estimates varied widely, from $250
to $50,000, with a median of $4,848.
Seventy-six agencies complied with maintenance expendi-
tures for the years 1950 and 1958. All but two cities spent
more in 1958; many reported budget increases of several
hundred percent over the eight-year period. Median rate
of increase was approximately one hundred percent, indi-
cating appropriations for maintaining park and recreation
properties have kept pace with rising costs and wages.
The response to the subcommittee's questionnaire and
nature of the information supplied by the cities seem to
point to the following conclusions:
Most recreation and park authorities keep few accurate
records of maintenance costs or the performance of main-
tenance personnel. A need for more adequate record-keep-
ing procedures is therefore clearly indicated.
Recreation and park authorities have widely different
concepts as to the meaning of the term "maintenance" and
the functions it covers, thus indicating need for clarifica-
tion of terminology in this aspect of recreation.
The fact that relatively few recreation and park authori-
ties have an active preventive maintenance program sug-
gests the need for more widespread advance planning for
recurring maintenance tasks as an aid to budget prepara-
tion and better care of recreation property.
The limited degree to which personnel responsible for
the program at recreation areas have direct authority over
maintenance workers assigned to these areas raises a ques-
tion as to the desirability of reviewing the criteria that
should determine respective responsibilities and relation-
ships of personnel assigned to recreation areas. #
SUCCESSFUL BOATING EDUCATION
Small-boat safety programs for
youngsters have been inaugurated in
many communities. In Westport, Con-
necticut, for instance, a program started
by Tom Hutson in 1959 was accredited
by the American Red Cross. It was so
successful that the Conference for Na-
tional Cooperation in Aquatics is pro-
moting similar programs across the
country, in the interests of water safety.
The Westport program was an experi-
ment which grew out of the 1958 Con-
ference, of which Tom was chairman.
School Program A boating club,
started in the local junior high school,
attracted thirty boys ranging in age
from thirteen to fifteen. Their attend-
134
ance at a course of about ten weeks of
lectures was excellent and interest keen.
This course was set up and sponsored
by the Westport Recreation Commis-
sion, the talks were supervised by a
faculty advisor and given by members
of the United States Power Squadron.
Visual aids, demonstrations of knot ty-
ing, of small boats and their equipment
by the squadron and the American Red
Cross enlivened the program consider-
ably.
On-thc-Water-Program On the basis
of this experience, two other consecu-
tive ten-lesson ARC "Basic Boating
Courses" were set up in July and Au-
gust under the direction of a town
employee trained and qualified by the
American Red Cross Small Craft School,
for the younger eight-to-twelve-year-
old group. The Saugatuck River Power
Squadron organized the program, pro-
vided the scholarship for training the
town instructor. The boating lessons
\\rrr held at the public beach and yacht
basin. At first, beach officials, life-
guards, and dock superintendents were
MTV cool to the idea, but soon h<v;imr
very cooperative as the local enthusiasm
grew among parents and children. A
-iiKill-lioat safety program will be in the
ARC budget for 1960, and assistant
qualified by them will again help the
-lowing program at Westport. #
RECREATION
N N
CONTRACTING FOR RECREATION LEADERSHIP
T> ECRUITING THAT IS, inviting oth-
'* ers to join your own chosen way
of life is a universal and very old
practice. Early Greece recruited only
the sons of citizens to be educated;
selection, however, played a key role.
Early Athens recruited foreigners to
take up residence in their fair city.
Again, selection played its forceful
role.
Constantine the Great built Constan-
tinople now Istanbul by recruiting
only the best of ideas and of leadership,
without which this famous city of cul-
ture could not have ruled the East for
a thousand years. Columbus had to re-
cruit selectively only those who would
dare to follow uncharted ways toward
a new life.
Today, we recruit people for politi-
cal parties, for associations and affilia-
tions, financial and social causes; we
recruit teachers, lawyers, doctors, engi-
neers, and nurses; likewise, in our own
field of community services, we must
recruit potential recreation leaders.
Need is evident when value and validity
are present; but, unless need is at the
source of a new idea, a new problem, a
new service, it is futile to waste human
time, energy, money, and effort. There-
fore, we, the incumbent recreation lead-
ership, must see the need to select and
recruit potential leaders dedicated
and inspired with vision; or this effort
too, will be futile, and our cause will
be lost!
How valid is our need for community
recreation leadership then becomes our
burden for proving. Let us look, first,
at what has happened as a result of
man's curiosity. Second, let us take
note of the new facts of the day, all of
which document our drastic need.
Man has been experimenting with
DR. WECKWERTH is director of recrea-
tion, Youth Leadership and Community
Services, Springfield College, Mass.
ideas and things for a long time. For
example, he invented the wheel which
immediately created a need for power
to run it. Power and the wheel, in turn,
made possible other machines. These
three together caused man to produce
the factory; and people gathering to
work in the factories contributed to the
development of the city. Cities multi-
plied, attracting streams of humans
away from the rural countryside. To-
day, urbanization demands recreation
leadership.
J. Frederic Dewhurst's Twentieth
Century Fund report on our U.S.A.
in New Dimensions identifies eight sets
of facts to give validity to the need for
community recreation leadership and
services : the relationship between man,
his animals, and his machines; our trek
to the city; our great increase of pro-
ductive power; our increasing income
among all families; our rapid growth
in population ; our new wealth in dwell-
ings, in the mechanical slaves being
used in our homes ; and, lastly, our new
leisure.
The National Recreation Associa-
tion's Recreation and Park Yearbook
Mid-Century Edition, 1900-1950, and
George Butler's descriptive overview in
The Social Work Yearbook 1957 iden-
tified the values accumulated by pub-
lic recreation leadership during the first
half of the century. A NRA Personnel
Service report on the highlights of 1957
also documents the dire need for rec-
reation leadership in today's and to-
morrow's market of community serv-
ices in America.
What Can We Do
About Recruiting?
These are four things each one of us,
as professional recreation people, must
do not might do about recruiting.
1. Get bitten by the bug better yet,
bite yourself but see the need for re-
Charles F. Weckwerth
cruiting and generate the desire to do
something about it.
2. Spread the contagion. The best
and simplest way is to be contagious.
3. Be selective on all fronts using
all sources of manpower. Pick men of
potential influence, men with vision
and a mission, men who appear as if
they have something to say and seem
willing to say it -and with gusto. Don't
depend upon the colleges to meet more
than twelve to fifteen percent of the
need at least in the near future.
Eighty-five percent of the task belongs
to you men in the field.
4. Demonstrate your belief to your-
self and to others in action. The
simplest and best way to do this is by
the sweat of your own brow. Make a
pact with yourself and to others selec-
ted. Decide you will see one person,
each week or month or quarter, about
recreation as a career. See him any-
where, but see him. Bring these selec-
tees together regularly around your
community recreation problems. Make
them your unofficial advisors. Put the
brainstorming method to work. Sign
a contract on these two suggestions with
yourself. Personally obligate yourself
to be supervised by your National Rec-
reation Association district representa-
tives. $:
Editor's Note
At the 1959 New England District
Recreation, at which Dr. Weckwerth
delivered the above address, fifty-two
contracts were signed by recreation
directors and superintendents. Since
then Dr. Weckwerth and Waldo Hains-
worth, NRA district representative,
have been keeping a cooperative rec-
ord and promoting the efforts of all
who signed these pledges. Records
show that the New England adminis-
trators followed through and made
good on forty-one percent of the con-
tracts at the close of 1959's first quar-
ter.
MARCH 1960
135
STATE
AND
LOCAL
DEVELOPMENTS
, Elvira Delany
ALASKA. The new state has directed its department of
natural resources to plan, acquire, develop, and administer
a system of state parks and recreation facilities, to provide
consulting service on local park and recreation programs,
and clearinghouse services for other state agencies con-
cerned with park and recreation matters. It authorized the
establishment of a separate division within the department
to perform these functions.
ARKANSAS. Park development is steamrollering ahead
in North Little Rock thanks to a $150,000 park improvement
bond issue passed in December. C. E. Harrison, chairman
of the parks and recreation commission, reports that the
major development will be Burns Park and city planners
are already mapping and laying out roads in this scenic
area, which includes a historic graveyard and monument to
the first settlers in the territory of Arkansas. The city also
plans to enlarge its much-used nine-hole golf course to eigh-
teen holes. The commission will develop seven small parks
this summer and will start soon on an animal shelter with
adjacent children's zoo. The commission was also successful
in getting the city council to approve an ordinance giving it
a maintenance supervisor and four laborers.
IOWA. Pleasure craft facilities are expanding along the
Mississippi. In Muscatine, the Levee Improvement Com-
mission is supervising construction of a small boat harbor
and marina approved by the U. S. Corps of Engineers. Nec-
essary funds have already been appropriated by Congress
and the local city council. Davenport has come to the aid
of pleasure boaters who have been inconvenienced and
handicapped by the shallowness of the harbor there at low
stages. The city and the U. S. Corps of Engineers are con-
structing Credit Island Harbor and improvements will make
it one of the finest harbors on the upper Mississippi. Bet-
tendorf has a new $175,000 youth center supplied by pub-
lic subscription.
LOUISIANA. Over 400,000 acres of privately owned for-
est have been opened to public hunting, fishing, and other
outdoor recreation, the first project in the new FAIR pro-
gram (federation and industry recreation), under which
the National Wildlife Federation will cooperate with in-
136
dustry in opening private lands to sportsmen. The Louisi-
ana FAIR project involves forest holdings of the Olin
Mathieson Chemical Corporation near Winnfield and Mon-
roe in north central Louisiana. The 405,000-acre Olin For-
est offers squirrel, waterfowl, deer, turkey, and quail hunt-
ing, and fishing and boating on several water areas. A new
14,000-acre lake, Lake D'Arbonne, will be built by the state
in Union Parish and much of the lake will lie on Olin Forest
lands. Sites of scenic and historic interest will be preserved
wherever possible.
James Ledbetter, president of the Louisiana Wildlife
Federation, said the federation will "seek to promote and
develop recreation facilities in the Olin Forest and other
lands included in the FAIR program." This may include
signs on the areas, preparation of maps, and development
of picnic sites, boat launching sites, and other facilities.
Mr. Ledbetter said, "There are millions of acres of pri-
vate land in Louisiana that offer an immense potential for
outdoor recreation. Any lands included in the FAIR pro-
gram will be open to the public and not just to members
of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation." The initial pro-
gram will be directed by a coordinating committee of of-
ficials of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Louisiana
Forestry Association, Louisiana Forestry Commission, Lou-
isiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, and Olin Mathie-
son Chemical Corporation.
NEW JERSEY. A proposed 220,000,000 jet airport near
Chatham in Morris County may well be jettisoned by some
determined wildlife lovers who are taking legal steps to ac-
quire the entire area as a public park. If the nature lovers
get the land first and turn it into a wildlife preserve under
county control, the Port of New York Authority could not
proceed with its proposed airport. A 1941 law prohibits the
authority from condemning public land without permission
of the municipality or county. The land in question consists
of picturesque countryside, including an area known as tin-
Great Swamp (although much of it is not swampy at all).
The swamp, of perhaps five to six thousand acres, extends
This bandshell, designed for a Lambertrille. \cu~ .
recreation field by Jules Gregory, is constructed from cin-
der block, called "partition" block, 6"-by.8"-by-18". The
red anthracite cinder gives it an oyster color. The con-
crete platform is elliptical in shape, forming a concentric
relationship to the wall used by the town and its schools
for concerts, pageants, and graduations. The ten-acre
field of this historic town has ball fields, tennis courts,
and park area equipped with picnic tables and fireplaces.
RECREATION
into the townships of Harding and Chatham. The authority
proposes to use the swamp acreage and peripheral land to
construct a 10,000-acre jet airport with four runways, each
12,000 feet long.
The nature lovers are a well-organized group known as
Wildlife Preserves, Inc., with membership centered in New
York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, dedicated to acquiring
land in the New York metropolitan area for wildlife conser-
vation. The group hopes to acquire the best areas of the
wetlands in the central Passaic Valley and already holds
title to 450 acres in the Great Swamp and 1,400 acres in the
Troy Meadows, both remains of ancient Lake Passaic, be-
lieved formed in the last Glacial Age.
NEW YORK. A twenty-acre estate overlooking the Hud-
son River has been given to the New York City Department
of Parks for an arboretum. The Perkins-Freeman estate
has been at various times the residence of Theodore Roose-
velt, Mark Twain, Arturo Toscanini, and British ambassa-
dors to the United Nations. The parks department must ob-
tain an amendment to the city's administrative code through
an act of state legislature in order to accept the bequest be-
cause of the specific nature of the proposed park to which
access may be limited by a small admittance fee. The site
lies in the Riverdale section of the Borough of the Bronx
and is owned by Mrs. George Perkins, Sr. and her daughter
and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Freeman. George
W. Perkins, Sr., a financier and partner in J. P. Morgan
and Co., who died in 1920, was for many years president of
the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (N.J.-N.Y.).
George Perkins was president of the commission until his
death on January 10, 1960. (His successor is Arthur R.
Jube of Orange, New Jersey.)
The New York State section of Palisades Interstate Park
has indeed reached its saturation point, necessitating turn-
ing away visitors because parking space and other facilities
can hold no more. Further development of the area under
a ten-year program calls for another 4,000 parking spaces
and facilities for 25,000. The original aim of the ten-year
program was to accommodate at least 125,000 visitors on a
peak day, but the target may have to be upped to 140,000,
with an eventual potential of 300,000.
The town of Oyster Bay and the New York State Conser-
vation Department are cooperating to develop five hundred
acres of wetlands along the south shore of Long Island as "a
conservation model and showpiece for the entire state and
nation." The area to be developed is the town's existing
Tobay Sanctuary between Jones Beach State Park and To-
bay Beach on Great South Bay. The program is the first
planned under a new state conservation measure providing
financial backing for the preservation of wetlands.
TENNESSEE. Labor unions, Exchange Clubs, the state
restaurant association, and the Tennessee Easter Seal
Society joined in the construction of a camp for handicap-
ped children on Old Hickory Lake in Wilson County about
thirty miles from Nashville. The camp will benefit between
four hundred and five hundred children each summer. The
thirty-acre site was made available by the U.S. Corps of
This island in Lake Ontario, New York, complete with 150
cabins, tents, recreation equipment, meeting hall, boats,
and other facilities, including mainland installations, has
been presented to the New York State YMCA by the
General Electric Company. The island and facilities rep-
resent an original cost of more than $1,000,000. It is
located fifty-six miles north of Syracuse at Henderson
Harbor. For over forty years GE used "Association Is-
land" as a site for its summer workshops and executive
training programs. The Y will use it for summer work
with young adults and student groups, for leadership
training camps, and as a site for YMCA conferences.
Engineers and has thirty-eight hundred feet of shoreline
and large level areas for ten buildings. Members of nine-
teen labor unions volunteered labor, with much of the equip-
ment donated or provided to the society at cost. Labor
unions involved included the asbestos workers, boilermak-
ers, bricklayers, carpenters, cement masons, electrical work-
ers, glaziers, elevator constructors, iron workers, hod car-
riers, lathers, operating engineers, painters, plasterers,
plumbers, roofers, sheetmetal workers, steamfitters, and
teamsters.
UTAH. The state has launched a $1,000,000 land acquisi-
tion program to remedy its dearth of recreation facilities.
The Utah Park and Recreation Commission hopes to ac-
quire woodland parks in the Wasatch Range adjacent to
populous Salt Lake valley and establish camp-style facili-
ties at Dead Horse Point and Goblin Valley in the Colorado
River canyon region. The state park system is still very
much in the planning stage, but state, county, and federal
cooperation has resulted in the establishment of Rockport
Lake State Park between the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains
and of Dixie State Park in Snow Canyon. Rockport Lake,
formed by the Bureau of Reclamation's Wanship Dam,
offers boat docks, a store, and cluster of cabins. The state
commission has also received as a gift a former resort area
on Great Salt Lake, Saltair, a small-scale "Coney Island"
with a Gay Nineties motif.
With the help of some of the Western states, Utah was
able to get an amendment to Federal Law 387 which had
limited the amount of land a state could acquire from the
Bureau of Land Management to 640 acres annually. The
new amendment provides for raising the limitation to 6,400
acres with a limitation of three areas per year ; and, in addi-
tion, there is the limit for the years 1960, 1961, and 1962
of 12,800 for each of the three years, plus six areas annually.
Utah also received authority to purchase an unlimited num-
ber of roadside parks, not exceeding ten acres, on land
belonging to the Bureau of Land Management. The bureau
administers over 24,000,000 acres of land in Utah (46.8%
of the state) on which there is no recreation development. #
MARCH 1960
137
MARKET
NEWS
For further information regarding
any of these products, write directly
to the manufacturer. Please mention
that you saw it in RECREATION.
Jean Wachtel
This issue of RECREATION Magazine is devoted, almost
exclusively, to camping in all its divers forms. Therefore,
items for this column were selected with an eye for their
utility in camping; the first three, for water safety.
Three for Safety
Naturally, swimming areas
are never left unattended dur-
ing regular swimming periods,
but there is always the off-
chance that some youngster
might try a little aquatic ex-
perimentation of his own when
nobody's looking. In order to
help circumvent any possible
tragedies, the Minneapolis-
Honeywell Regulator Com-
pany has devised a highly sen-
sitive electronic alarm that can
be adjusted so finely is will de-
tect a hand splashing in the
water. The system includes a
sensing element submerged ap-
proximately a foot below the
water surface and a remotely
located alarm panel (shown
next to each other in the pic-
ture) . Whenever an object falls into the water, the sensing
element detects the sound vibrations caused by the splash,
then electronically relays a signal to the alarm panel, which
can be located up to one hundred feet from the pool. An
alarm horn is then sounded to summon aid. Detailed infor-
mation on the swimming pool alarm system may be had by
writing Minneapolis-Honeywell Home Products Division,
2747 Fourth Avenue South, Minneapolis 8, Minnesota.
Another safety device, complete but still portable, is the
AMBU Rescue Breathing Equipment, which consists of both
a hand-operated resuscitator
and a foot-operated suction
pump in a plastic carrying
case. Lightweight and sturdy,
this equipment can be used by
virtually anyone, anywhere,
without time-wasting setting
up, use of electricity, or of
compressed gases. Consisting
of face mask, self-inflating bag,
and nonrebreathing valve, the
resuscitator delivers adequate
volumes of air with the first
squeeze of the bag. The foot-operated suction pump delivers
intermittent partial vacuum for fast clearing of the airway,
which so often is clogged with water, mucus, or other for-
eign matter. AMBU is offered as a complete resuscitation-
138
suction unit, but either element may be bought separately.
Formerly manufactured in Denmark, the unit has been en-
dorsed by such European agencies as the Bavarian, Swiss,
and Austrian alpine rescue organizations, the NATO armies
medical corps, the Norwegian air force and merchant navy,
and Danish civil defense. For all details, write Air-Shields,
Inc., Hatboro, Pennsylvania.
In the event that you have a near drowning on your
hands, in either pool or natural body of water, either this
or the preceding resuscitator could prove to be invaluable.
The Mira tube, made of molded Tenite polyethylene plastic
is a device designed to bring immediate, effective aid to
nonbreathing victims of near drowning, asphyxiation, or
electric shock, particularly for the rescuer reluctant to use
mouth-to-mouth breathing. One end of the tube, which
looks like an elongated S, is placed in the victim's mouth
(once he has been placed on his back) until the flange rc-l-
against his lips or teeth. The rescuer then breathes through
the tube at the rate of fifteen to twenty times per minute,
interrupting the artificial respiration to permit passive ex-
halation by the victim. Available in sizes for children and
adults, the Mira tube is resistant to most chemicals used in
cold sterilization. For complete information, write the Mira
Corporation, 2656 North Pasadena, Los Angeles 31. Cal-
ifornia.
e Power failure is always likely in relatively isolated areas
such as camping grounds, in either state and national parks
and forests or out in the country. In such instance-. >iand-by
power is mandatory]
A unit that fills die
bill more than ade-
quately is the \\ inco
Lite Portable Fniiine
Generator, which
compact portable
power plant delivers
up to 3000 wall- \( .
starting at its rated
2500 watts. The
Briggs & Stratlon 4-
cycle aluminum en-
gine has nationwide
service facilities, thus doubling its usefulne--. Cnmiii
equipped with its own carrying handle and weighing 123
pounds, the Winco Lite offers many other advantages such
as the exclusive AUTOMATIC coNSERV-er Idling Control
and full power at either 115 or 230 volts, from one
outlet and versatility. It can also be set up as an e\lra
light source wherever you waul it. for whatever pin |>o-c \ on
want, such as near the pool for a water show. It is aU,>
available with stationan l-a.-e. a >peed\ Shift '2 -\\heel dolly.
or carrying cradle. For complete information write the
\\ ineharger Corporation, a subsidiary of /enith Radio,
Sioux City 2, Iowa.
RECREATION
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Page
American Playground Device Inside Back Cover
Association Press 105
Bear's Head 141
Champion Recreation Equipment . 131
Cosom Industries 101
Dimco-Gray 98
Exposition Press . 139
F. H. Noble Inside Back Cover
FLXIBLE 1 105
Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. (book) . 140
Gold Medal Products 98
Gymnastic Supply 140
Hillerich & Bradsby Center Insert
Institutional Cinema Service .141
James Spencer 139
Jayfro Athletic Supply .139
Kalah Game 140
MacGregor 97
Mason Candies 103
Monroe 140
National Sports 140
National Studios 141
Jew York University 141
Recreation Equipment 104
Ronald Press .102
T. F. Twardzik _ 98
J. S. Defense Bonds _ Back Cover
Voit . . 105
Wenger Music Equipment _ 139
New, improved Golden Age Club Pin.
Now in real gold plate with tree in
green jewelers' enamel. Safety catch.
50c each, including federal tax and
postage.
Minimum order 10 pins
Available only to authentic clubs.
JAMES SPENCER & CO.
22 N. 6th Street Philadelphia 6, Pa
BASKETBALL
STEEL CHAIN
NETS
3 Yean Guarantee I
outdoors or indoors
.-I/so featuring Jayfro'* custom built
XNYLON BASKETBALL NETS & BALL CARRIERS
^ALUMINUM MULTI-PURPOSE STANDARDS
^TETHERBALL POLES & PADDLE SETS
('WATER BASKETBALL STANDARDS
^ALUMINUM BATTING TEES I
Send for Free Catalog
JAYFRO ATHLETIC SUPPLY CO.
Dept. R, Box 1065, NEW LONDON, CONN.
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
RATES: Words in regular type $.15 each
Words in boldface type $.25 each
Minimum ad accepted $3.00
DEADLINES: Copy must be received by
the fifth of the month preceding date of
the issue in which ad is desired.
COPY: Type or clearly print your message and the address to which you wish
replies sent. Underline any words you want to appear in boldface type.
Send copy with remittance to:
RECREATION Classified Advertising, 8 West Eighth Street, New York 11, New York.
HELP WANTED
Recreation Therapists
for California State Hospi-
tals. Opportunity to plan
and conduct individual pa-
tient recreation as well as
special group activities;
modern equipment and fa-
cilities available. Positions
open to college graduates
with major in recreation or
recreation therapy, which
included supervised field
work. No experience re-
quired. Starting salary
$415.00 per month; promo-
tional opportunities; liber-
al employment benefits.
Write State Personnel
Board, 801 Capitol Avenue,
Sacramento, California.
Group Workers, branch
director and program as-
sistant in decentralized
countywide group-work
agency. Salary dependent
on experience. MSW re-
quired. Efraim H. Gale,
executive director, Greater
Miami Jewish Community
Center, 450 SW 16th Ave-
nue, Miami 35, Florida.
SERVICES
AVAILABLE
Square Dance Caller, col-
lege, club, or convention.
Piute Pete, 55 West Eighth
Street, New York 11, New
York.
The publisher assumes no responsibility for services or items advertised here.
Free to WRITERS
seeking a book publisher
Two fact-filled, illustrated brochures tell bow
' to publish your book, get 40% royalties, na-
tional advertising, publicity and promotion.
Free editorial appraisal. Write Dept. R-3
Exposition Press / 386 4th Ave., N.Y. 16
with the portable
SHOW WAGON
you can GO where
the events take place
.and be heard
MUSIC
EQUIPMENT
CO.
watonna, Minn.
BINDERS
Heavy simulated leather
Gold stamped
Opens flat for changes
Holds one year's issues
Price
$3.50 each
(Includes 12 blades)
[Extra sets of looped rods available
separately for $.65 per set]
MAIL
THIS
COUPON
NOW
RECREATION MAGAZINE
8 West Eighth Street
New York 11, N. Y.
PLEASE FIU. IN
Year Number of Copies
1958
1959
This is my order for REC- 196
REATION Magazine binders. undated..
Name ......
Address-
City
Bill
. ; or enclosed..
603
MARCH I960
139
REVEILLE FOR CAMP BUILDERS
Julian H. Salomon's Camp Site Devel-
opment enlarged edition. Simplifies
water supply, sewage, road and power
systems; emphasizes camp planning. ///.
Send $5 to Girl Scouts NES, Dept. B, 830 Third
Avenue, New York 22.
NATIONAL
370 NORTH MARQUETTE, FOND DU LAC, WISJ
FOLOKINC
DIRECT PRICES
OISCOUN
II
t4J
PUKES X
IIS TERMS \
FOLDING TABLE LINE
Kilchen committees, social group*, atten-
tion! Factory prices & discounts lip In 400&
to Churches, Schools, Clubs, etc. Monroe
all-new FOLD-KING Banquet Tables,
with exclusive new automatic folding and
locking, super slrength, easy seating. 6K models and sixes.
BIG NEW 1960 CATALOG FREE
Color pictures. Full line tables, chairs, table and chair trikU. pl.il
form-risers, portable partitions, bulletin bo.iaK Our 52d year
THE MONROE CO., 181 Church St., Colfax, Iowa
^** ' Jlfc W . GYM APPARATUS
GYMNASTIC UNIFORMS COILING DOORS
GRANDSTANDS PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT
FOLDING BLEACHERS BASKETBALL BACKSTOPS
REBOUND TUMBLING UNITS SCOREBOARDS
WEIGHTLIFTING EQUIPMENT LOCKERS
GYMNASTIC SUPPLY COMPANY
250 Sixth Street San Pedro, California
Recreation leaders from Boston to
Los Angeles use this nrans of solv-
ing many playground problems.
THE MORALE BUILDER
Ten Minutes of Special Coaching Can Pro-
duce a Kalah Enthusiast.
SEND FOR IEAFIET No. 12. Show, how one In-
spired player can develop volunteer helpers who
will itort a wove of sustained interest that may
spread over a city.
KAUH BOARD Jimp|e ^ ^ n ^ nM
from UNICEF Recreation Man-
ual supplied with each order.
KAUH GAME CO.
131 Slate St., Boston, Mass.
LISTENING AND VIEWING
Have You Heard This One?
Jim Copp and Ed Brown have done
it again, this time with their recording
of Fable Forest, a reworking of fifteen
Aesop fables. Copp narrates clearly
and without flourishes, starting with
"when the world was very young, and
nobody knew how to act," and goes on
from there, delightfully, spellbindingly.
My seven-year-old assistant critic also
got the moral inherent in each fable
without feeling clobbered by the ob-
vious.
For example, consider the story of
the lion and the mouse. The lion is
about to gobble up the mouse, but de-
sists when the mouse promises to help
him some day. That day comes when
he frees the lion from a trap by gnaw-
ing its ropes. As his reward, which the
lion says can be anything he wants, the
mouse chooses to marry the lion's
daughter. During the resulting, reluc-
tant ceremony, the lioness trips and
squashes her about-to-be bridegroom.
The moral: "Don't overstep yourself."
The slightly gory ending is softened by
the lion's roaring, "Somebody sweep
up that mouse . . . and let's all have a
party; everybody dance, everybody
sing."
While more uneven in quality and
less of a whole than their first record,
Jim Copp Tales (reviewed September
1959) , Fables is still an excellent re-
cord. Both are suitable for recreation
or camp story hour, rainy days, creative
dramatics, the sick bay, quiet hour
use limited only by imagination. Avail-
able from Playhouse Records, Box
36061, Los Angeles 36, California
(Playhouse 202, 12", 33 1/3, $4.95).
Another charming Caedmon story-
telling record recently off the press is
the one of Boris Karloff reading "The
Ugly Duckling" and five other Hans
Christian Andersen stories, some well
known, others less so. Among the bet-
ter known are "The Princess and the
Pea" and "The Shepherdess and the
Chimney Sweep."
Mr. Karloff is an expert on children's
literature, in addition to his acting, and
reads with clarity, expression, and great
warmth. He utilizes no sound effects
nor outside voices, but the pint-sized
audience still sits enthralled, ear glued
to speaker, listening to every word.
Available from Caedmon Records, 277
Fifth Avenue, New York 16 (TC 1109,
12", 33 1/3, $5.95). J.W.
Recreation leaders who abhor pre-
fabricated do-it-yourself hobby sets will
find Elektra's Folk Song Kit a cat of
quite another breed. This beginner's
guitar instruction course includes man-
ual, chart, and practice record. It
should propel those teen-agers who
have picked up a chord or two to settle
down to something more; would be a
fine pick-it-up for servicemen on iso-
lated stations far from a teacher (and
even for those in more accessible are-
as) ; and a special boon for the hospital-
ized, homebound, and people cut off
from usual channels. One side of the
record gives chord instruction by Billy
Faier, professional folk singer, accom-
panist, and editor-publisher of Caravan
Folk Music Magazine; the other has
twenty favorite folk songs played and
sung by Milt Okun. teacher, arranger,
conductor, and performer. The manual
also includes a survey of American folk
music by Lee Hays, veteran folk singer
(The Weavers) and composer ("Kisses
Sweeter than Wine"). Of course, the
success of any such course as this is
the seriousness of purpose (shown in
the seriousness of play) evidenced by
the practicer. Available from Elektra
Records, 116 West 14th Street, New
York 11 (EKL-KIT. 12", 33 1/3, treat-
ed for heavy use, $5.95). E.D.
Film Flashes
For All the Children is a sensitive
and moving film relating the story of
the New York Herald Tribune Fresh
Air Fund's experiment in integrated
camping for handicapped and nonhand-
icapped children at Camp Hidden Val-
ley, Ridgefield, Connecticut. (See write-
Keep 'em SINGING
with these all-time favorite
SONG SLIDES
wonderful hours of fun for
young and old alike
2" x 2" slides 50</slide
3'/4"x4"slides... 1.00/slide
WRITE F0 CATOLOGUE S
NATIONAL STUDIOS
42 Wed 48th Street
New York 36, N. Y.
JUdion 7-1926
140
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECREATION
up on this camp in June 1955 RECREA-
TION, Page 260.)
The film opens with a brief history
of the Fresh Air Fund, illustrated by
film clips, showing the dismal slum con-
ditions that so shocked the Reverend
Willard Parsons, of Sherman, Pennsyl-
vania, that he decided to try to mitigate
them in some manner. He founded the
FAF in 1877 and served as its first di-
rector. Ever since its inception, the
Fund has operated under Dr. Parsons'
credo: "What is done out of love can
never die."
The major part of the film is devoted
to the Hidden Valley experiment: the
original idea of integrating the handi-
capped and nonhandicapped; would it
work; and how could it be worked out.
Ultimately the problems were resolved ;
the children, previously screened by
recognized social-service agencies,
packed into buses, off to the country for
the first time.
The handicaps covered a wide vari-
ety of disorders, but once they came
upon the lush greenness of Camp Hid-
den Valley, "the burdens of disability
[were] forgotten." The counselors were
regular college material, with some Jay
Gees included. All were given a short
orientation course to acquaint them
with the special needs of the handi-
capped. The entire experiment has
been called "a new concept in social
rehabilitation."
Narrator Mary Martin and two young-
ster actors of For All the Children.
This film was chosen when the United
States Information Agency and the
National Broadcasting Company were
looking for a representative social-
service film to show at the American
National Exhibit in Moscow, last July.
Though running only eighteen min-
utes, this 16mm, color film should be
an eye-opener to any camp or recrea-
tion department that has shied away
from the very thought of having the
handicapped and nonhandicapped
children camping together, utilizing the
same facilities. It was produced, direct-
ed and coauthored by Leo Trachten-
berg and Robert K. Merrick, photo-
graphed by Ross Lowell. Available on
free loan from Harvest Films, 90 River-
side Drive, New York 24. J.W.
New York University Camp,
Lake Sebago, S /oats burg, N. Y.
Undergraduate Camp, June 4 June 26
Open to Undergraduate Students with a major
in Physical Education, Camping or Recreation.
Graduate Camp, July 4 August 12
Graduate professional courses in Health,
Physical Education, Dance, Camping, Recreation
Washington Square,
New York 3, New York
Undergraduate and Graduate courses in
Health, Physical Education, Physical Therapy
and Recreation.
Inter-session, June 6 July 1.
Summer Session, July 5 August 72.
Post Session, August 15 September 9.
Courses lead to the B.S., M.S. and Doctorate Degrees.
For further information write to:
Department of Physical Education,
Health and Recreation
School of Education
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Washington Square
New York 3, New York
INDIAN
GAMES
Full series of
Indian contests
and games, com-
plete with finish-
ed equipment and
rules ready for
play. Puts real In-
dian Lore into your
program. Fine hand-
worked pieces, PLUS
proper songs, cere-
monies, useful infor-
mation for authen-
ticity.
Write for free catalog:
Bear's Head Indian
Games & Specialties Co.
213 Forbes Avenue
Dept. 60R
Phone: IAI 1282
Tonawaiida, New York
-MOVIES-
For Every Occasion
*
RECREATION - EDUCATION
16MM SOUND
Black & White - Color
Representing .
Walt Disney - Columbia - Warner
United Artists - Paramount
Send for 64-page FREE CATALOG
INSTITUTIONAL CINEMA SERVICE, INC.
41 Union Square New York 3, N. Y.
MARCH 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
141
RECREATION For The
III and Handicapped
Since the field of recreation for the
ill and handicapped Jias expanded far
beyond the confines of hospitals, this
regular column, formerly called "Hos-
pital Capsules," is likewise expanding
its title.
4* The Consulting Service on Recrea-
tion for the 111 and Handicapped of the
National Recreation Association knows
of a large number of unfilled positions
for recreation workers with the ill and
handicapped thoughout the country. It
does not have the funds for recruitment,
movies, literature, and staff, so it must
have your help. The Consulting Service
is initiating a nationwide recruiting
contest. Prizes will be awarded to the
three people who recruit the most per-
sons to the field of recreation for the
ill and handicapped.
Send the Consulting Service your
name if you are interested in becoming
a contest participant. Please tell other
recreation leaders. If the recruits are
not already trained in recreation, per-
suade them to go to a college or univ-
ersity giving specialized courses in this
area. If the recruits are trained in rec-
reation, but not in work with the ill and
handicapped the Consulting Service
will help them find positions where
they will be given careful supervision
while working with the ill and handi-
capped. Prizes, worth over $50 each,
have been donated by a kind friend of
the field.
Make it a point to speak at the high
schools and undergraduate colleges in
your community and any other place
where you think you are likely to find
interest. Everyone of you can recruit
at least one person to our field and
surely there are many who can recruit
more. How about it?
f 1 Presidents of the three professional
organizations working with the ill and
handicapped are having several meet-
ings this spring to develop feasible
MRS. HILL is director, National Recrea-
tion Association Consulting Service on
Recreation for the III and Handicapped.
142
methods of forming one strong profes-
sional organization. Let's hope they will
find the answers so in 1961 we may
forge ahead as one united force. At the
end of February, the three chairmen of
the three organizations met at the Na-
tional Recreation Association and
worked out a formal description of rec-
reation for the ill and handicapped,
which, in turn, will be sent to the mem-
bers of their organizations for ap-
proval. When this is accomplished, we
will have one answer, not three, when
asked, "What exactly is recreation in
the medical setting?"
4* An article in the October issue
(Pages 334-335) discussed the Sussex
County Project for a coordinated rec-
reation program for the ill, handicap-
ped, and aged in a rural county. At that
time the Consulting Service was trying
to find means to finance an on-going
program after the project, supported by
a foundation grant, had ended. Such
means have now been developed and
may be applicable in other areas of the
country.
The county welfare department has
agreed to pay a share of one recreation
worker's salary, providing service for
three sessions a week in the welfare
homes caring for patients. The small
general hospital will pay for four ses-
sions, and each of the four proprietary
nursing homes will pay for one session
a week. This equals thirty hours a week,
with the remaining ten for recruiting,
training volunteers, and other program
responsibilities. The institutions will
pay ten dollars for each session, total-
ling $110 a week. Thus, the worker's
salary will be $5200 a year. The auto-
mobile allowance equals approximately
another $500 a year.
As the project continues this year, the
Consulting Service hopes to expand the
program to include the noninstitution-
alized handicapped and older persons
living in boarding homes. It is confi-
dent that, once again, the community
will come to the rescue and find the
means to support this expansion of
service. If you have a small hospital
and a number of nursing homes in your
part of the country, they may be inter-
ested in knowing of this project, and
how they, too, can provide recreation
services.
In another project in which the Con-
sulting Service tried using the same
methods found so successful in Sussex
County and failed. It was impossible
to coordinate six institutions in six dif-
ferent towns, because each town, rather
than cooperate with one another, com-
peted. Cooperation is the keynote in
any coordinated project.
f 1 The NRA Consulting Service has
been working with the U.S. Children's
Bureau to develop plans for a three-year
study of recreation for handicapped
children throughout the country. By
law, all handicapped children whether
mentally or physically handicapped,
get educational advantages, but then-
is little ev idence that communities make
much effort to include the handicapped
child in recreation plans.
Jf Another Consulting Service study
concerns methods and techniques to
help the professional successfully moti-
vate the chronically ill aged person.
The Consulting Service lias questioned
many eminent authorities on this score.
The majority seem to feel that a stncK
in this area will reveal that the person-
ality of the worker and his use of his
own assets is the most important factor.
i" The State of California provides an
example of the power of legislation. To
be eligible for licensure, it is now man-
datory for nursing homes in California
to offer some recreation to patient*.
% The National Association for Re-
tarded Children and the NRA Consult-
ing Service are working on a plan to
develop a demonstration of how a cen-
ter geared to social rehabilitation ma)
aid the mentally retarded. This \\ ill
prove that many who are considered
retardates with no job potential could
develop such a potential, once self-run-
fidence has been gained through educa-
tion and recreation. A place to go and
things to do under guidance every day
can be a great help, not only to the re-
t ai-date but also his family. #
RKCRKVTION
Magazine Articles
THE AMERICAN CHILD, January 1960
Problems Before the Golden Anniversary
White House Conference on Children and
Youth.
AMERICAN FORESTS, January 1960
Let's Go Trail Riding, Michael Frame.
The Oregon Dunes, William B. Morse.
CAMPING MAGAZINE, January 1960
Have You Tried "Spelunking"? John See-
ger.
HARPER'S February 1960
Exploring the Great Deeps (oceanography),
Leonard Engel.
Men to Match Japan's Mountains, (sumo
wrestling), Allan R. Bosworth.
The Rebirth of Jonny (childhood schizo-
phrenia) , Mira Rothenberg.
Housekeeping at the Big Museum (Metro-
politan Museum of Art), Edith Iglauer.
JOHPER, January 1960
Education for Leisure A Must, Jay B.
Nash.
First Lessons in Figure Skating, Barbara
Southward.
NCATE Accredited Institutions Offering
Degrees in Health, Physical Education,
Recreation.
NEA JOURNAL, January 1960
What Is a Good Art Program? Mary Ade-
line McKibbin.
Subtle Learnings of Little Children, Paul
N. Van Ness.
HE OPTIMIST, January 1960
Curling Hottest Project on Ice.
Bike Safety Hits the Big City, Barney Sing-
erman.
'ARENTS', February 1960
What Makes Teens Try Dope, Edward R.
Bloomquist, MD.
Friendships by Mail, Gunhild Gansing.
ARKS AND RECREATION, January 1960
How About a Par 3 Golf Course? Ben
Chlevin.
Night Needs Light, Stacy Standley.
The Playground of Tomorrow, Frank Cap-
Ian.
Public Boating on Small Lakes, Norville
Hall.
A Sailing Program for the Public, Laura
Slocombe.
ARKS AND RECREATION IN CANADA, January
1960
Memorial Sports Centre (Oshawa), R. A.
Stencel.
Outstanding Sarnia Tree Program, William
Palmer.
[ECREATION FOR THE ILL AND HANDICAPPED,
January I960
Creative Dance. Mary London Brooks.
How to Plan a Carnival, ha Hutchinson, Jr.
Recordings
)AVE VAN RONK Smcs BALLADS, BLUES AND
A SPIRITUAL (FS3818). Folkways Records,
117 West 46th Street, New York 36 (12",
33 1/3, $5.95).
lektra Records
161), Theodore Bikel and Geula Gill;
SONGS OF A RUSSIAN GYPSY (EKL-151),
Theodore Bikel; THE LIMELITERS (EKL-
180) ; GOLD COAST SATURDAY NIGHT (EKL-
167), Saka Acquaye and His African En-
semble from Ghana (all 33 1/3, 12", $4.98) .
Elektra Records, 116 West 14th Street, New
York 11.
Books & Pamphlets
Received
MORSE CODE COURSE (CC-1) ; FOLK SONGS
FROM JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE (EKL-
Arts and Crafts
ADVENTURE IN STITCHES (rev. ed.), Mariska
Karasz. Funk & Wagnalls, 153 E. 24th St.,
New York 10. Pp. 127. $7.50.
BEGINNER'S BOOK OF WATERCOLOUR PAINT-
ING, THE, Adrian Hill. Emerson Books, 251
W. 19th St., New York 11. Pp. 77. $2.95.
DEVELOPING, C. I. Jacobson. American Photo-
graphic Book Publishing, 33 W. 60th St.,
New York 23. Pp. 327. $4.50.
FUN WITH ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS, Joseph Leem-
ing. J. B. Lippincott, E. Washington Sq.,
Philadelphia. Pp. 95. $3.00.
HAND WEAVING, S. A. Zielinski. Funk & Wag-
nails Co., 153 E. 24th St., New York 10. Pp.
190. $8.50.
MIRROR WITH A MEMORY (photography),
Charles Michael Daugherty. Harcourt
Brace, 750 3rd Ave., New York 17. Pp. 96.
$3.25.
MORE PLYWOOD PROJECTS, Robert Scharff.
McGraw-Hill, 330 W. 42nd St., New York
36. Pp. 184. $5.50.
MOSAICS, Doris and Diane Lee Aller. Lane
Publishing, Menlo Park, Calif. Pp.96. Pa-
per, $1.95.
1960 INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY YEAR
BOOK, Norman Hall, Editor. St. Martin's
Press, 175 5th Ave., New York 10. Pp. 216.
$6.95.
ORIGAMI (Book Three), Florence Sakade.
Charles E. Tuttle, 28-30 S. Main St., Rut-
land, Vt. Pp. 32. Paper, $1.00.
POPULAR STYLES OF JAPANESE FLOWER AR-
RANGEMENT, Lida Webb. Hearthside Press,
118 E. 28th St., New York 16. Pp. 124.
$2.95.
PRINTMAKING, Gabor Peterdi. Macmillan, 60
5th Ave., New York 11. Pp. 303. $12.50.
STONEWARE AND PORCELAIN, Daniel Rhodes.
Chilton Co., 56th & Chestnut Sts., Philadel-
phia 39. Pp. 217. $7.50.
TIN CAN CRAFTING, Sylvia W. Howard. Ster-
ling Publishing, 419 4th Ave., New York 16.
Pp.64. $2.50.
VANISHING CRAFTS AND THEIR CRAFTSMEN,
Rollin C. Steinmetz and Charles S. Rice.
Rutgers Univ. Press, 30 College Ave., New
Brunswick, N. J. Pp. 160. $4.75.
Camping, Nature
CAMPING AND OUTDOOR FUN, Maj. Mauno A.
Lindholm. Hart Publishing, 74 Fifth Ave.,
New York 11. Pp. 192. Paper, $1.50.
CAMPING DIGEST, Kenneth Chasey. Box 6247,
Lamar Park Sta., Corpus Christi, Tex. Pp.
225. Paper, $2.00.
CAMP SITE DEVELOPMENT, Julian H. Saloman.
Girl Scouts of the USA, 830 3rd Ave., New
York 22. Pp. 160. $5.00.
CAMPSITE FINDER (Vol. 11959), Pacific
Coast and Alaska, Richard and Jane Hartes-
veldt. INaturegraph Publishing, Box 46,
San Martin, Calif. Pp. 80. Paper, $1.00.
CHILDREN'S ADVENTURE WITH NATURE AND
PEOPLE, A. J. William Myers, PhD. Exposi-
tion Press, 386 4th Ave., New York 16. Pp.
108. $3.00.
DEVELOPING CAMP SITES AND FACILITIES, John
A. Ledlie, Editor. Association Press, 291
Broadway, New York 7. Pp. 63. Paper,
$3.50.
ENDURING PATTERN, THE, Hal Borland. Simon
& Schuster, 630 5th Ave., New York 20. Pp.
247. $5.00.
FIELD GUIDE TO AMERICAN WILDLIFE: East,
Central & North, Henry Hill Collins, Jr.
Harper & Brothers, 49 E. 33rd St., New
York 16. Pp. 683. $6.95.
How ANIMALS MOVE, James Gray. Cam-
bridge Univ. Press, 32 E. 57th St., New
York 22. Pp. 143. Paper, $1.75.
How TO SELECT A SUMMER CAMP FOR YOUR
CHILD, Irving Horowitz. Chilton Co., 56th
& Chestnut Sts., Philadelphia 39. Pp. 84.
$2.95 (paper, $1.95).
LIVING EARTH, Peter Farb. Harper & Bros.,
49 E. 33rd St., New York 16. Pp. 172. $3.75.
LIVING WITH OTHERS (teacher's manual plus
junior camper's book), Carrie Lou God-
dard. Abingdon Press, 201 8th Ave. S.,
Nashville 2, Tenn. Pp. 114. Paper, $1.25.
MANUAL FOR OUTDOOR LABORATORIES, Rich-
ard L. Weaver, Editor. Interstate Printers,
19-29 N. Jackson St., Danville, 111. Pp. 81.
Paper, $1.25.
THE NATURAL THING: The Land and Its Cit-
izens, Pieter W. Fosburgh. Macmillan, 60
5th Ave., New York 11. Pp. 174. $3.75.
NORTH AMERICAN WATERFOWL, Albert M.
Day. Stackpole Co., Cameron & Kelker Sts.,
Harrisburg, Pa. Pp. 363. $5.75.
101 WlLDFLOWERS OF CRATER LAKE NATIONAL
PARK, Grant and Wenonah Sharpe. Univ.
of Washington Press, Seattle 5. Pp. 40.
Paper, $1.00.
OUR GREAT OUTDOORS What Are We Doing
About It? Center for Information on Amer-
ica, Washington, Conn. Pp. 4. $.25.
OUTDOOR REFERENCE GUIDE, Amelia R. Long.
Stackpole Co., Cameron and Kelker Sts.,
Harrisburg, Pa. Pp. 288. $7.50.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST, THE. Golden Press, 630
5th Ave., New York 20. Pp. 160. $2.50.
PLANTS THAT CHANCED THE WORLD, Bertha S.
Dodge. Little, Brown, 34 Beacon St., Bos-
ton 6. Pp. 183. $3.50.
POCKET FIELD GUIDE TO NATURE Volume I.
Stackpole Co., Cameron & Kelker Sts., Har-
risburg, Pa. Pp. 96. Paper, $1.50.
RANGE LAND ANIMAL TALES, Sabina Carlin
Pratt. Exposition Press, 386 4th Ave., New
York 16. Pp. 58. $2.50.
SEA AND SHORE, THE, Marion B. Carr. Golden
Press, 630 5th Ave., New York 20. Pp. 57.
$1.50.
SECRETS IN THE DUST, Raymond Holden.
Dodd, Mead, 432 4th Ave., New York 16.
Pp. 177. $2.75.
SPRING FLOWERS OF THE LOWER COLUMBIA
VALLEY, Clara C. Hill. Univ. of Washington
Press, Seattle 5. Pp. 164. $3.00.
STRANGE PARTNERS (cooperation among ani-
mals) , Sigmund Lavine. Little, Brown, 34
Beacon St., Boston 6. Pp. 106. $2.75.
WORLD OF LIVING THINGS, Paul Griswold
Howes. Duell. Sloan & Pearce. 124 E. 30th
St., New York 16. Pp. 232. $4.50.
WORLD OF PATTERN, A, Gwen White. Charles
T. Branford. 69 Union St., Newton Centre
59, Mass. Pp. 76. $3.95.
IARCH 1960
143
PUBLICATIONS
Camp Waterfront Programs and
Management, Richard Pohndorf. Asso-
ciation Press, 291 Broadway, New
York 7. Pp. 256, illustrated. $7.50.
This, the latest addition to the YMCA
Aquatic Professional Series, provides
long-needed coverage of the problems
of waterfront program operation and
administration. It is a key resource for
almost any phase of aquatic program-
ing in a resident or day-camp setting,
whether run by recreation department
or private agency. The book does not
deal specifically with the YMCA opera-
tion ; most of the material can be easily
adapted to any program. The examples
are well selected and provide breadth
and scope for intelligent planning.
The seamanship program and stand-
ards of proficiency are excellent, espe-
cially when the high interest in small-
craft ownership and their use by the
general public are considered. It is
regrettable, however, that some refer-
ence to the existing American Red
Cross Small Craft Programs was not
included. Some of this material can be
applied to individual operation of small
craft outside the usual camp operation,
which is good or bad, depending on
your viewpoint.
The somewhat incomplete bibliogra-
phy of up-to-date references does not
detract from the book's overall value.
Stanley Stacker, Metropolitan New
York Council, American Youth Hostels.
(See his article on camp lands, Page
132.)
Your Family Goes Camping, Doris
Patterson. Abingdon Press, 201 Eighth
Avenue, South, Nashville 2, Tennessee.
Pp. 160, illustrated. $2.50.
This summer you will be asked for
advice on family camping, if the present
trend continues and it will. Or you
may wish to take the family on a cross-
country jaunt, camping along the way.
In either case, this book will provide
answers to such questions as: Where
shall I go? What shall I take? What
about tents, sleeping bags, cooking,
sanitation? It is based on the long
144
llir Lpisnrp-tinip Fip.li!
camping experience of Mr. and Mrs.
Patterson and their four children, all
inveterate campers. The style is con-
cise and enthusiastic.
The only criticism of this book con-
cerns two items. Mrs. Patterson does
not use the modern mouth-to-mouth
method of artificial respiration. She
also fails to give sufficient warning
about the removal of ticks, those car-
riers of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Never remove them by hand. Use tweez-
ers; never touch ticks with fingers.
Developing Camp Sites and Facili-
ties, Association Press, 291 Broadway,
New York 7. Pp. 63, illustrated. $3.50.
This publication, prepared by the
National Commission on YMCA Camp
Layouts, Buildings, and Facilities, is
another indication of the excellent ma-
terial on camp design and development
that is being issued by youth-serving
agencies. Designed to assist those re-
sponsible for planning and developing
camps, it is largely the result of work
done at the First National Consultation
of YMCA Camping held in 1957. Many
YMCA camp leaders served on commit-
tees that prepared the various chapters.
The handbook is profusely illustrated
with sketches, photographs, and plans
of camp structures and facilities. Of
special interest to recreation workers
are the sections relating to procedures
in developing a camp project, water-
front developments, and program facili-
ties. Most of the information is pre-
sented in the form of check lists that
facilitate the ready use of the publica-
tion. G. D. B.
Light from a Thousand Campftres,
Kenneth B. Webb, Editor. Association
Press, 291 Broadway, New York 7. Pp.
375, illustrated. $4.95.
This compilation of camping mate-
rial reflects the light from thousands of
personalities and experiences that made
up the first thirty-four years of Camp-
ing Magazine and its predecessors. It
is not a how-to-do-it book but rather
a distillation of camping philosophy,
insights, values, aims, objectives. The
book covers four major areas: what is
camping and why? the staff, the pro-
gram, and the many kinds of camps. It
certainly should be well thumbed by all
camp directors and be available for the
camp staff. The wealth of experience
and inspiration of many of the pioneers
of good camping make this a must for
every professional recreation leader
who is in any way concerned with day
or resident camping. Publication of
this volume marks the fiftieth anniver-
sary of the American Camping Associa-
tion, to be celebrated at its convention
in San Francisco this month. S. S.
Curiosities of Animal Life, Maurice
Burton, DSc, pp. 128, photographs
and drawings, $3.95. A Butterfly Is
Born, J. P. Vanden Eckhoudt, pp. 90,
over 120 photographs, $2.50. A Bird
Is Born, E. Bosiger and J. M. Guilcher,
pp. 92, 111 photographs, $2.50. All
from Sterling Publishing Company,
4 1 9 Park Avenue, South, New York 1 6.
How do animals find their way
home? What animals have built-in
weapons? Can animals talk to each
other? In Curiosities of Animal Life
Dr. Burton pinpoints the answers to
these and many other questions. Each
bit of information presented is related
to other unusual farts and to the whole
field of natural history so readers do
not get just a miscellany of believe-it-
or-not data, but a thorough understand-
ing of animals. Did you know that a
cuckoo from Africa migrates to Eng-
land to breed, and the young birds re-
turn to Africa, a land they have never !
seen? Why? Here is your chance to,
find the answer. Accompanying the
text are 105 black-and-white and six-]
teen full-color photographs plus wash
drawings by Anne Marie Jauss.
The miracle of birth and life of a|
bird is graphically told in A Bird ls\
Born through magnificent close-up and
X-ray photographs. In its companion
book, A Butterfly Is Born, the life of a
butterflv is told in pictures.
All three books are treasures, have]
numerous, superb photographs, and
will delight any nature leader.
Verses from 1929 On, Ogden Nash. v
Little, Brown, 34 Beacon Street, Bos-
ton. Pp. 522. $5.95.
This comprehensive anthology, se
lecterl and revised from six previous
Nash volumes, is chock full of wri
gripes, unblushing puns, elastic (am
snappy) rhymes, all quite gnashy but
not nasty. Sample:
Song of the Open Road
I think that I shall never see
A billboard lovely as a tree.
Indeed, unless the billboards fall
I'll never see a tree at all.
RECREATION
WHEREVER YOU ARE-
You can't get along without your copy of
THE 1960 PLAYGROUND SUMMER NOTEBOOK.
Time: Around May 1.
Price: $2.50 ($2 to NRA members).
The 1959 edition was ALL sold out by June 15. Don't
let it happen to you this year!
National Recreation Association 8 W. 8th St., New York 11.
FOR SUPERIOR DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION
AND PERFORMANCE . . . FAR GREATER
STRENGTH. .UNEQUALLED SAFETY.
Writ* lor foljir
On AMERICAN'S
JIM PATTERSON
LIFETIME
Aluminum
DIVING
BOARD
WORLD'S FINfST
OFFICIAL BOARD
AMERICAN
Approved
PARK, PICNIC,
PLAYGROUND
AND SWIMMING
POOL EQUIPMENT
Since 1911 the finest equipment built,
backed by lifetime guarantee against
defective materials and construction
. . . specified by leading recreational
authorities for almost half a century.
Send for New Catalog
AMERICAN
PLAYGROUND DEVICE CO.
ANDERSON, INDIANA, U.S.A.
WORLD'S LARGEST MANUFACTURERS OF FINE
PARK, PICNIC, PLAYGROUND, SWIMMING
POOL AND DRESSING ROOM EQUIPMENT
CUR
RENT
1960
DISTRICT
National Recreation Association District Conference
Schedule
HOTEL
DATES
LOCATION
California and Pacific
Southwest
February 14-17
San Jose, California
St. Claire
Middle Atlantic
March 23-25
Pocono Manor, Pa.
Pocono Manor Inn
Southwest
/
March 30-31 -Apr. 1-2
Shreveport, La.
Washington Youree and
Capt. Shreve Hotels
(connected by arcade)
Great Lakes
April 4-7
St. Paul, Minn.
St. Paul
Midwest
April 6-8
Kansas City, Mo.
President
Southeast
April 18-20
Edgewater Park, Miss.
Edgewater Gulf
Pacific Northwest
April 10-12
Sun Valley, Idaho
The Lodge
New England
May 15-18
Swampscott, Mass.
New Ocean House
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION,
You want her to grow up in a peaceful world. Bonds are one way to help make sure.
You Save More than Money
with U.S. Savings Bonds
You can save automatically with the Payroll
Savings Plan You now get 3 ;! \ ( ", interest at
maturity You invest without risk under
U.S. Gove, guarantee Your money
will, never bt -lostroyed You can get
your money, rest, any time you
want it You can buy Bonds where you work
or bank And remember, you save more
than money.
Thf I '.S. Con-rnmcnt tin -s not /tn\ for thi.- nilti-rtising.
The 7'misnrv Department Ihtinks The Adii-rlist'tit; Council
and this magazine /or their patriotic donation.
/ .
->**; f ' V v
,* : ^
ISSUE
SEND FOR THESE
H & B ANNUALS
FOR 1960
THEY ARE READY NOW
AND FREE FOR YOUR TEAMS
FAMOUS SLUGGER
YEARBOOK
This book is o reody
reference for mojor and
minor league batting
statistics. World Series
data, photographs of
famous sluggers and
historical baseball
highlights. Also con-
tains an article "Base
Hitting" written ex-
pressly by Nelson
Fox for this year's
Yearbook.
51-
SOFTBALL
RULE BOOK
Contains complete
official 1960 soflball
rules, pictures of the
1959 World's Soft-
ball Champs and
other valuable in-
formation.
SEND ALSO FOR THE LOUISVILLE
SLUGGER BAT AND GRAND SLAM CATALOGS
We will be glad lo send you copies of the 1960
Louisville Slugger Bat and Grand Slam Golf Club
Catalogs for your ready reference in ordering from
your dealer.
Write for this FREE material te
Hillerich A Bradsby Co., Louisville 1, Ky.
Box 506, Dept. R-O
LOUISVILLE SLUGGER BATS
Choke of the Champions
PLAYGROUND
SUMMER
NOTEBOOK
1960 EDITION
THEME
UOL
When writing to our advert ivr-
AVAILABLE On or around May I.
Same as before ( how DO we do
it!). $2.50 ($2 to NRA mem-
bers).
WHKKKVKR YOl ARE.
Sourcebook for leadership
training; new ideas for crafts,
games, family nights, special
events, the performing arts, na-
ture, rainy ami hot da\-.
USEFUL TO Playground leaders, ble^ Yin!,
camp and day-camp counselor*.
Daily Vacation Bible Schools,
recreation leaders in institu-
tions and public agencies. \ NY-
body. ANYwherc doing summer
recreation work with children.
Place your order NO W with
National Recreation Association, 8 W. 8lh St.. Now York 11.
ilr;i-r mention IU.CKK VTtov.
Play Outdoor Games Indoors
PHYSICAL FITNESS programs succeed best when they
make use of the natural tendencies of young people. Chan-
nel their dominant tendency toward motor acts into vigor-
ous, absorbing exercise with Safe-T-Play games designed
for safe group play indoors and in confined areas.
SAFE-T-PLAY GAMES are all based on the unique short
flight ball that provides means for entire classes to take part
in spite of limited room. Safe-T-Play equipment is precision
molded to "Varsity" standards of light, resilient, unbreak-
able polyethylene that prevents damage and accidents.
SAFE-T-PLAY DOUBLES INDOOR SPACE
Tell Your Sporting Goods Supplier to Show You the Complete Safe-T-Play Line
COSOM INDUSTRIES, Inc.
6020 Wayzata Blvd. Minneapolis 16, Minn.
SAFE-T-PlflY
.PRIL 1960
When writing to ' ir advertisers please mention RECREATION.
145
WHEREVER
CHILDREN PLAY
Recreation equipment with
engineered safety to meet
the most rigid requirements.
Playground Equipment
Indoor Basketball Backstops
Swimming Pool Equipment
Literature for each line avail-
able on request please specify.
DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED
RECREATION
EQUIPMENT CORP
Dcpt. R160 724 W. 8th St.
Anderson, Indiana
Stop wasting time recording inventory costs,
handing out balls and paying top prices for low
quality balls. Install this attractive, cost-cutting
TFT Table Tennis Ball Meter NOW!
Leased FREE to responsible agencies on $10.00
deposit subject to refund. Trouble-free operation
assured return machine for FREE repair. Attrac-
tive hard wood and metal cabinet 7Vi x 8 Vj x 1 5
inches high. Easy to install. Holds 1 20 balls-
dispenses each for 10. Choice of 3 grades of
top quality balls. Use profit to maintain and re-
place paddles, nets, etc. No risk guarantee. Send
for free folder: "Stop Wasting Their Time."
T. F. TWARDZIK 8, CO.,
SHENANDOAH, PENNA.
> A NATIONWIDE TRACK-AND-FIELD pro-
gram has been announced by the Office
of Operation Fitness USA, as being
initiated under the sponsorship of a
Coordination-Implementation Commit-
tee of Cooperating Organizations and
Affiliates of the AAHPER-NEA. The
National Recreation Association is one
of the organizations cooperating with
this program as a member of the com-
mittee. The project, designed to con-
tinue two years or longer, will deve'op
track-and-field clinics for both chi'dren
and teachers, stimulate interest in track-
and-field activities, and open up in-
creased participation opportunities for
millions of children and youth through-
out the country. Bulletins, posters, olli-
cial forms, and other printed materials
will be available to leaders without cost
as soon as they are off press. For fur-
ther information, address Operation
Fitness USA, American Association
for Health, Physical Education and Rec-
reation, 1201 Sixteenth Street, N.W.,
Washington 6, D. C.
\ A GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
was inaugurated for the education of
mentally retarded ch'ldren. authorized
by Public Law 85-926. in September
1958. It will be administered by the
U. S. Department of Health. Education
and Welfare. Interested persons may
apply (1) at the college or mm n-it\
they wish to attend to determ ; ne wheth-
er it is a participating institution, or
(2) at their state department of educa-
tion. For further information, write to:
Exceptional Children and Youth Sec-
tion, Instruction. Organization, and
Services Branch. Division of State and
Local School Systems. Office of Edu-
cation, U. S. Department of Health.
Education and Welfare, Washington
25, D. C.
\ THE DEMAND FOR college and unixer
sity graduates in recreation continue*
to increase, according to Frnnk S. F.ndi-
cott, Director of Placement, Nortliwc-l
ern University. Evanston Illinois, in
the report on his fourteenth annual sur-
vey. Companies \\\\\ seeV ten percent
more graduates from the ' *'<>() clae-
than they employed from the classes of
1959; forty-six (len-ent of these com-
panies will visit more schools. Starting
salaries will again increase in 1960:
average for engineering will be $515
per month; accountants $450 per
month; sales $434 per month; general
business $424 per month.
\ Is YOUTH FITNESS A CONCERN of VOUr
community? The week beginning May
1, 1960. has been proclaimed by Presi-
dent Eisenhower as National Physical
Fitness Week. What are you doing to
observe it? Also, what are you plan-
ning to do for Physical Fitness Week in
June (June 1 to 7) as a part of National
Recreation Month? We would appre-
ciate receiving a brief statement about
your plans.
> YOUR JUNE CALENDAR INCLUDES, in
addition to National Recreation Month:
Youth Fitness Week. June 1 to 7: Na-
tional Circus Week, June 1 to 7; "I.etV
Play Golf" Week, June 4 to 11; Family
Recreation Week, June 8 to 14; Nation-
al Flag Week, June 12 to 19; Recrea-
tion-and-the-Arts Week. June 15 to 21 :
Father's Day, June 19; Recreation-
Through-Service Week. June 22 to 30.
Summer begins June 21.
\ AN INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONNAIRE is now
being mailed to recreation leaders 1>\
the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistic.
We join the National Social Welfare
Wrinbh in urging everyone to fill it
out <|iiickl\ and return promptly in ac-
cordance with instructions. Not all
workers will receive this, as it is a I
sample survey, as such is the usual prae-
tice of the U. S. Labor Department. All
information is kept confidential and ap-
pears only in broad summaries.
> IF YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED your /one,
Is National Recreation Month Kit. as
an associate or affiliate of the National
Recreation Asocial ion. write for it at
once. Sets were mailed eailx in March.
April is the month in which in -rl up
\our community-wide National Recrea-
tion Month Committee-.
IN RELATION TO SWIMMING SAKKTY
the National Red Cross announce- ilia
since the beginning of its safel\ -ei \ ii e
(Continued on Page 148)
146
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
\
RKCRKATIOI
APRIL 1960
THE MAGAZINE OF THE RECREATION MOVEMENT
Editor in Chief, JOSEPH PRENDERCAST
Editor, DOROTHY DONALDSON
ASSISTANT EDITORS
JEAN WACHTEL ELVIRA DELANY
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Administration, GEORGE BUTLER
Program, VIRGINIA MUSSELMAN
VOL. LIII.
Price 50 Cents
No. 4
On the Cover
BLASTING OFF to another world is easy in a paper
cutout rocket, with exhaust made of absorbent cot-
ton, galaxies and stars of sugar. Are your 1960 play-
ground plans ready for the launching pad or are you
still tinkering with the fuel mixture? April count-
down is right around the corner. We are indebted
for our cover to Michael Kosinski, who did an arti-
cle in November 1955 on how to make photograms,
t which the cover was an illustrative sketch.
Vext Month
While the May emphasis is on the aging American-
philosophy and program the other articles touch
on many facets of recreation. The centerspread is a
magnificent picture story of flower and garden festi-
vals, conducted all over the United States. George
lijelte writes about parks as a necessity or an amen-
ity, and another piece presents new faces of recrea-
tion as exemplified by recreation areas in trailer
parks, supermarket parking lots, housing projects,
and motels. You will want to read about how to
stimulate your Softball program, both for youth and
the not-quite-middle-aged man; how to get and keep
your parks; and you will be fascinated to read of a
trampolin program for blind children. Other arti-
es cover quiet adult games, music and recreation,
who s who at the forthcoming Congress in Wash-
ington, D. C. this fall, and many other subjects.
Photo Credits
Page 153, Hugh Morton, Wilmington, North Caro-
ma; Is 7, Globe Photos, New York City; 161, (low-
r left) LaFayette Studio, San Francisco; 163, Wash-
ngton Evening Star photo by Tom Hoy.
KLCRKAT1ON is published monthly except July and
August by the National Recreation Association, a service
organization supported by voluntary contributions, at 8
West n.ghth Street, New York 11. New York, is on
BJetn public libraria and is indexed in the Rtadn,'
Cmde. Subscriptions $4.00 a year. Canadian and for-
e.gn subscription rate $4.50. Re-entered as second-class
matter Apnl 25. 1950, at the Post Office in New York.
New York under Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance
Section l"i ru 1 " i PeC '?U rate u f postage Provided for in
Sect on 11 03 Act of October 3. 1917, authorized May
il ', i>- M ' c , rofilm , s f current issues available Uni-
Michi>a" ' 3 N ' Fir " StreCt> Ann Arbor -
&'*"*%?' U "\ Minahan. 185 North Wa-
bash Avenue, Chicago 1. Illinois.
Copyright, I960, by the
National Recreation Association, Incorporated
Printed in the U.S.A.
* Trade mark registered in U. S. Patent Office.
CONTENTS
GENERAL FEATURES
A Legacy of Play (Editorial) j 53
"Watch Me Climb the Mountain" 157
Recreation and Delinquency . . Kenneth W. Kindehperger 159
"Roving Leaders" Extend Our Reach . . Edward H. Thacker 162
Cultural Coexistence in Richmond . . . Siebolt H. Frieswyk 164
Playgrounds Abroad
ADMINISTRATION
Unique Spray Pool 155
More Fun in Penn's Woods 159
Institute of Personnel Administration . . W. C. Sutherland 161
Federal Urban Planning Assistance 173
Uniform Outfits for Leaders Virginia Musselman 175
A Nautical Play Community 177
A Three- Way Project for Recreation . . Frank D. McClelland 178
A Cooperative Playground Plan John D. Dittmar 181
Research Reviews and Abstracts 182
PROGRAM
Playgrounds in Action 1960 154
"Wake Up and Read, Young America!" Iris Vinton 167
Dungaree Daubers Joyce and John McGinn 170
Pirates on the Playground Beatrice McAuliffe Stone 172
Plants Children Like to Grow 174
Dramatics on the Playground Nancy Eichsteadt 176
REGULAR FEATURES
Things You Should Know 145
Letters 150
In Memoriam J5j
Resources and References 152
Recreation for the III and Handicapped 187
Market News jgg
Index of Advertisers 189
Classified Advertising 189
Books and Pamphlets Received, Magazine Articles 190
New Publications
IDUCATIONAL
IRESS
ISSOCIATION
OF
rAMERICA
The articles herein printed are the expres-
on of the writers and not a statement of
oolicy of the National Recreation Association
PRIL 1960
147
EVERY RECREATION PROGRAM NEEDS THESE
COTTON CANDY
POPCORN
easily' ,
ADD
$5,000 ANNUAL PROFIT!
Don t handicap your program for lack of funds. Refresh-
ment Profits give you 10% more funds. Write for free 32-
page booklet which tells how easily your department can
earn them. Free 120-page catalog and descriptive literature
is also yours for the asking. Write today.
GOLD MEDAL PRODUCTS CO.
308 E. THIRD STREET
CINCINNATI I, OHIO
Where Can You Get
Everything For Your
CRAFT Program
----- COUPON -----
Request your new 4' x 6' fifty-
star flag. It's FREE with pur-
chase of $100 or more before
May 10th, 1960. One flag,
only, to a customer.
METALS
FELT
CORK
MOSAICS
LOOPERS
WOODEN ITEMS
STICK CRAFT
CANDLE MAKING
LEATHER KITS
TOOLS
PLASTIC EMBEDDING
ETC.
Of
Course,
from: ,
CLEVEIAND CRAFTS
4707 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland 3, Ohio
COMPANY
5832 Chicago Avenue
Chicago 51, III.
4 East 16th Street
New York 3, N. Y.
I 960 REFERENCE BOOK FREE FOR THE ASKING
(Continued from Page 146)
in 1910, 38,000,000 certificates have
been issued to persons completing for-
mal courses 21.000.000 in first aid
and 17.000,000 in water safety. During
the past year. Safety Services spurred
its efforts to teach Americans how
to live safely. Certificates issued to
persons completing Red Cross first-aid
and water-safety courses numbered
2,513.300. The past year, the mouth-
to-mouth ( or mouth-to-nose I technique
of artificial respiration was adopted by
Red Cross, upon recommendation of
the National Academy of Science. Na-
tional Research Council, as the ona
most practical for a single rescuer to
use. The method was publici/.ed
through issuance of a textbook supple-
ment, which also presents modifica-
tions of the two manual resuscitation
methods.
> THE HTH NATIONAL SCIKM i. I UK.
dedicated to inspiring greater interest
in science among students, will be held
in Indianapolis. Indiana. May 11 to 14.
1960. For brochure of facts, send to
Science Service. 1719 N Street. \.\\..
\\ ashington 6. D. C. #
t THE I960 NATIONAL CONFERENCE on
Social Welfare will be held in Atlantic
(!it\. June ."> to 10. according to Charl
I. Schotland. conference pre-idi
There are fifty-four national organi/a^
lions participating in the planning.
formation and room reservation f
max be si-cured from the National Con-
ference at 22 West Gay Street. (, .Iam-
bus 15. Ohio.
llllC
lies
rill. J
i/a-
a
> SXNIMMIM; rum. >IM>\M>I;^ -ri ;i lax
break. The IRS rules that nonprofit!
cm poralion- which build and operate '
communitx s\\ immiiii! pools and other.'
recreation facilities, admitting the pun
lie for a nominal fee. qualih a- tax
exempt charitable organisations.
reason: Such corporation* serve a i
erally recognized public need and
lessen the lull den on government unil
to pro\ide similar tax-supported serv
ice. the serv ice noted.
^ PUBLICATIONS KEI.XTKM re the \\ hid
Mouse Conference on Children and
Youth are available for purchase fro
the Conference. 330 Independei
enue. S.\\ .. \\ashington J.x 1>. < :.
live hooks avai'able are: The
C.lnldri'ii. $6.00 I plus fifl\ cent* p.n
and handling I : C.hildrcn in <i Clump
World. $1.25 i plus lenlv-livc ceil
postage and handling!: Slutr A'<7>or
Diiifsl. >]..">(! i plus luentv live ecu
postage and handling): \alional
g<ini:(itioii.< Difii'xl. !?]..">0 t plu- l\\e
five cents postage and handling)!
Conicx-iic,' Proceedings. $'2.'2't ' p'4
I \\enlv -live cents po-lage and handlingl
148
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
Ul i Kl VTIOH
buy safety
Today, as always, the J. E. Burke Company
continues to set the standard by manufac-
turing the highest quality playground equip-
ment. The Burke Better Built shield repre-
sents the company's policy of maximum
safety plus years of trouble free service.
The same standards also apply to the com-
playground
equipment
plete line of quality outdoor equipment in-
cluding such items as: Horizontal Ladders,
Sand Boxes, See-Saws, Swing Gates, Slides,
Basketball Backstops and Goals, Bicycle
Racks, Portable Platforms, Park Benches,
Picnic Tables, Tennis and Volleyball Posts,
Bleachers, ClimbingPoles, and Parallel Bars.
KIDDIE GLIDER COMBINATION This four way com-
bination features the self-propulsion Kiddie Glid-
er. All moving parts are 24" from seat level,
eliminating head bumping and pinched legs. Kid-
die Gliders can be assembled with various swing
units to meet any particular playground equip-
ment requirement. Illustrated here are the Stand-
ard Swing, the Kindergarten Swing, and the Hobby
Horse Swing.
Support pipes are 1%" o.d. galvanized steel pipe
and cross bar is of 2%" o.d. galvanized steel
pipe. Gliders are suspended by four %" x IVi"
steel bars. Model 8-501 Combination
HOBBY HORSE SWING Cast aluminum head,
hardwood seat, steel tubing frame-
Horse available on any frame.
CLIMB-A-ROUND Designed for climbing, swinging,
chinning, and sliding. A safe tip-proof conical
series of climbing rungs provides diversified play
for as many as 25 to 85 children (depending on
size of unit). Requires little ground space, needs
no concrete footings, and is easily assembled.
Climb-A-Round offered In five sizes, all con-
structed with heavy galvanized steel tubing all
corners and joints rounded.
SPACE SAVER SLIDE De-
signed to give safe fun
in V4 of the ground space
required by standard
slides. All metal (bright
color over galvanized
iron) construction with
stainless steel bedway.
Two lengths offered -8'
and 12'. Dual safety rails
at 14" and 28" surround
top platform.
Depth of slide chute
Ladder steps (non-slip perforated)..
Model 512-S
6"
..12 gauge steel
REGULATION OFFSET BASKETBALL BACKSTOP The
safest design available in outdoor backstops.
Support posts are off the play area, 21/2 feet
behind the backboard 6 feet apart. All steel
construction, certified malleabe iron fittings.
This backstop offers an exclusive set screw
arrangement to eliminate backboard adjust-
ment problems, makes It easy to keep
backboard perfectly vertical at all times.
Also fan and rectangle backstops single
and double post. Model BB-15-OP
HEAVY DUTY SWING Special rugged design with
the highest safety standard of any comparable
swing unit manufactured. Triangular end pipes
plus a double set of interior pipe supports puts
this model in a quality class that sets the pace
in playground equipment design.
Heavy Duty Swing offered in 2, 4, 6, and 8 swing
units. Interlocking knob construction gives rigid
assembly on all fittings. Swing seat hangs 18"
from ground.
Frame (galvanized steel pipe) top pipe-2%" o.d.
support pipe-1%" o.d.
Model C-400
EXTRA HEAVY DUTY MERRY-GO-ROUND
Highest quality materials combined with
traditionally superior Burke construction make
this model the leader of any merry-go-round
manufactured. 4Vz" o.d. galvanized steel pipe
support and the finest select hardwood are
assembled into a rugged lifetime service
unit of playground fun.
Merry-Go-Rounds offered in 6', 10', 12',
and 14' diameters with open face
or enclosed center section.
Model M3-E
J. E. BURKE COMPANY
PD Rrw QRfi Dpnt V NPW Rrnn<;wirk NPW .lersev
Last Years Longer
approved for
tournament
play!
Dayton steel tennis, badminton
and paddle tennis racquets are
ideal for any school or play-
ground program. Their "extra
whip" improves every youngster's
gome gives a speed and
accuracy that cannot be
matched by any other type
of racquet.
What's more, Dayton rac-
quets are practically inde-
structible. Their steel strings
and tubular steel frames are
not affected by climatic
changes. No covers or
presses are needed to
protect them. They won't /4-U
warp, splinter, rot or sag.
Investigate them now.
Ask your local dealer
about them or write to-
day for complete infer- ^H
motion.
DAYTON RACQUET COMPANY
740 Albright St., Arcanum, Ohio I
Dayton
ere PI TPAr 1
Rules and
court layouts
for tennis or
badminton are
yours for the
asking.
STEEL RACQUETS
Shufflebonrd
Fun For Everyone!
From 8 to 80 here is exciting recrea-
tion for all ages . . . keen enjoyment
for players and spectators.
Rugged, Dimco FreeGlide Shuffle-
board sets are available for both out-
door and indoor installation.
Easy to install . . . low in upkeep!
Write today for colorful folder. "Let's
Play Shuffieboard," containing com-
plete information on court layout and
equipment.
DIMCO-GRAY COMPANY
205 EAST SIXTH STREET
DAYTON 2, OHIO
Readers! You are invited to send letters for this page
to Editor, RECREATION, 8 West Eighth Street. Neu
York 11 so that your ideas, opinions and attitudes
may be exchanged with others on the wide range o)
subjects of concern to us all. Here is your chance to
agree or disagree with the authors of our articles.
Keep letters brief not more than 250 words.
The Editors.
Proper Leadership
Sirs:
Youth leadership is in dire need of
continuous training programs, both
preservice and in-service, for paid and
volunteer leaders. The objectives of a
youth program should be set down be-
fore the program is planned and before
the mechanics are set up. Seldom do
leaders take into consideration the im-
portant objectives and outcomes of a
properly planned program.
The long-range outcomes of a pro-
gram should be studied before a pro-
gram is put into effect. One should al-
ways keep in mind the total child; the
entire growth of the child; his mental
and social attitudes; the physical body
development as well as the carry-over
values for the years ahead. Too many
leaders are concerned with the immedi-
ate program and have little or no
thought to the whole child or to the
total effects of the program to the future
of the child. Many leaders do not pos-
sess a professional position they hold,
nor do they possess a professional atti-
tude to the child who benefits from
their positive leadership or who suffers
from their negative leadership.
If continuous and proper preservice
and in-service training program!- are
carried on by competent trained lead-
ers, an education system can be set up,
and over the years, leadership objec-
tives and techniques will improve to the
point where our children will benefit
from positive leadership, and very little
negative leadership will appear in our
youth programs.
EDSEL B. MARTZ, Department of Rec-
r en lion and Parks, Arlington, Vir-
ginia.
New Magazine for Handicapped
Sirs:
Congratulations to you for adding
pages for articles and information per-
taining to the field of recreation for the
ill and handicapped.
1 am enclosing a copy of Accent on
Living circulation 7.000. in all states
and forty-three foreign countries
thinking that perhaps you might want
to write a small note about it in REC-
REATION Magazine. If you would like
to mention it, I will be happy to send a
free copy to anyone interested.
RAYMOND C. CHEEVER, Publisher,
and Editor, 802 Reinthaler. Bloom-
ington, Illinois.
Note: Accent on Living is a pocket-
sized, national magazine, dedicated
to serving all handicapped persons,
and has an advisory board composed
of medical and rehabilitation special-
ists.
"A Mi >-i Excellent February"
Sirs:
Congratulations on a most excel lent
February 1960 issue of RECREATION
with its international recreation flavor.
I have asked my staff members and
board members to give me their copies
so I might send them to international
friends who have visited m\ depart-
ment over the years. Tlie\ are located
in all parts of the world.
Keep up the good M ork \ on are doing
u illi the magazine!
THOMVS W. LANT/. Supfi'inlcndrnt.,
Public Recreation, Mimnlnin Park
District, Tacoma,
Rave Notice
Sirs:
My December 1959 issue (of RECRE-
ATION] is dog-eared already from the
constant use it received by our part-
time staff during the Christmas vaca-
tion period! The variety of subject
matter plus the pleasing o\eiall layout
of the maga/ine continues to merit rave,
nolices from our staff.
HARRY B. VAN l!i:i 1 1 HIM. l>
of Recreation, Torrancc. C.alii<nia,>>
See March issue for article about I
Torrance's excellent day camp pro-l
gram. Ed.
150
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECKI M u>
3n Hfomnrtam
. Dr. Nickolaus L. Engelhardt, well-
known educational consultant and good
friend to recreation, died February 24
in New York City. He was seventy-
seven years old. A senior partner in the
educational consulting firm of Engel-
hardt, Engelhardt. Leggett & Cornell, he
was one of the country's leading author-
ities on conditions in public schools.
He cooperated with the National Rec-
reation Association in many ways, and,
when president of the American Asso-
ciation of School Administrators, he
prepared jointly with the Association a
leaflet entitled Planning School Build-
ings for Community Recreation Use.
This received wide distribution. He also
served as a member of the NRA Council
on Research in Recreation and spoke
at National Recreation Congresses.
. Dr. George Louis Meylan, pioneer in
youth camping and physical education
and an early advocate of greater atten-
tion to the health needs of American
youth, died January 15 in New York
City. He was eighty-six. During World
War I he took a leave of absence as
medical director of Columbia Univer-
sity to serve as director of recreation
for the French army.
In 1892, Dr. Meylan organized a
camp for underprivileged children in
Bangor, Maine, one of the earliest
camps in the state. This was followed
five years later by a YMCA camp in
New Hampshire. He also founded his
own camps on Sebago Lake, Maine.
. Ovid Butler, influential forest con-
servationist, died February 20 in Wash-
ington, D. C. at the age of seventy-nine.
From 1922 to 1948, he was executive
lirector of the American Forestry As-
sociation. As American Forests maga-
:ine said of him a few years ago, "As
nuch as any man of our time, Ovid
Sutler helped to make conservation a
lousehold word. . . ."
His career was marked by many con-
ervation milestones, among them the
ntroduction of a fact-finding survey to
eveal to Americans the conditions of
heir forest resources after the heavy
imber strain of World War II. He also
nitiated publication of a series of
looks on conservation and forests. #
Now you can
GO
where the events
take place
...and be heard!
WENGER PORTABLE BANDWAGON
The Mobile Combination Band Stand
and Outdoor Stage
Ideal for use at music events, rallies, acts, demonstra-
tions, and for speakers, the Wenger Bandwagon pro-
vides comfortable quarters for performers, plus assuring
resonance and volume for the audience. At site, the
Wenger Bandwagon opens in minutes into a generous
stage or outdoor theater, or a complete, scientifically
designed music shell for band, orchestra, or chorus.
After event, it folds quickly into a handsome, completely
enclosed road trailer with ample locked storage space for
chairs, stands, instruments, or accessory equipment. May
be used indoors, too! Every community will want one!
Send for complete details and specifications, or ask for
a free demonstration. No obligation, of course.
MUSIC EQUIPMENT Co
OW ATON N A
MINNESOTA
EffASO* POSTERS and CHARTS
SAVE TIME, CfFORT, MONEY!
Now used by over 10,000 Schools, Colleges, YMCA's
Clubs, Recreation Depts., Camps, etc.
Available for all Sports and activities.
\,P>*
. u.s>
Paten) Office
i Write for Catalog -Dept.: R _
THE PROGRAM AIDS COMPANY, INC.
550 Fifth Avenue New York 36, N. Y.
"
Here! The NEW
'SKELLY"
A Variation of Board Billiards
Camps Homes Schools Playgrounds
Indoors Outdoors Table Floor
Simple, Easy-To-Follow Rules
Individually boxed Weighs 13 Ibs.
Reinforced Construction 2 to 4 players
Lively embedded rebound cushions
3' x 3' hardboard playing area
Comes with 4 assorted colored catalin
discs, rules and 4 pushers.
SPECIAL INSTITUTIONAL PRICE $11.00
SEND FOR OUR LATEST COMPLETE TROPHY CATALOG
SKELLY SALES CO. 89 MAIN ST. HEMPSTEAD N V
F.O.B.Hempstead Terms: Net'
1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
151
SOUND APPROACH
TO HEALTH AND
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
WITH
califone
PROMENADE
MODEL 25V-8A
COMPLETE SOUND SYSTEM
deal for INDOORS, OUTDOORS,
ATHLETIC FIELD or GYMNASIUM
SINGLE UNIT CONSTRUCTION
LIGHTWEIGHT, PORTABLE
POWERFUL
VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL for
classes in rhythms, movement
fundamentals.
EXCELLENT P. A. SYSTEM for games
and other physical education require-
ments for up to 3500 persons.
Califone's exclusive CUEMASTER
providing instantaneous phrase
selection. Optional on many Caiifone
models.
PROFESSIONAL NET ... $199.50
With CUEMASTER . . . $12.50 additional
Write for detailed information on this unique model and other
models to fit your budget - Dept. R-4.
CaMfOne CORPORAT.ON
1020 NO. LA BREA AVENUE HOLLYWOOD 38, CALIFORNIA
A t Stetsteifi' greatest name in
fl4*\A fencing equipment.
\ Jit mmMwwm C^~~\
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/UNIFORMS of championship
weight "Tiger" brand
(odokan Recommended
I Double-Hollow Weave (Reinforced)
PANTS and BELT: Single Drill
TIGER
mediate Deliv
from Slock in New York City
the PLUS
for your
education program
WHITE rot Fill CATALOG
. . . includes valuable train-
ing aids and equipment
for club, <lo*ifoom in*
BRAND itnielton. Odd vofi.fy
FENCING EQUIPMENT COMPANY I M EMIIM ITKET
. . . *\ NEW YORK 3. N. V.
AMERICA'S FINESJ ATHLETIC BALLS
FOR EVERY AGE GROUP,
PRICE OR SKILL-
GOES WITH THE GAME
NEW YORK 11
CHICAGO 11
LOS ANGELES 11
RESOURCES AND REFERENCES
Behind the Headlines outlines a spe-
cial program technique for studying
intergroup relations through a more
meaningful use of newspapers. It shows
how a knowledge of the relevant facts
about news events, plus supplementary
reading and discussion, can help devel-
op an understanding of the meanings
behind the headlines. The 24-page
pamphlet was designed for use by com-
munity leaders and discussion groups
in programing and conducting prac-
tical workshops for adults on the prob-
lems within our democracy. Available
for fifteen cents from Anti-Defamation
League. 515 Madison Avenue, New
York 22.
The Art of Shellcraft Instruction
combines a beginner's manual with a
complete summary of shellcraft and
was written by Frank and Marjorie
Pelosi who have written previous man-
uals on this craft. Mrs. Pelosi is shell-
craft instructor for the St. Lucie County,
Florida, recreation department. This
84-page manual is available for a dollar
in a soft cover, in hard cover for $3.00,
from the Sand Box Shell Shop. Box 112,
Jensen Beach. Florida.
Conservation, a manual issued by the
Camp Fire Girls, is an excellent re-
source for nature and science leaders
in camps, schools, indoor centers and
clubs in urban or rural areas. An ex-
cellent conservation directory adds to
its usefulness. Available for $1.50 from
Supply Division. Camp Fire Girls. 450
Avenue of the Americas. New York 1 1.
Crouse-Hinds Bulletin 2714 is a
pocket-sized edition of the company's
floodlight catalog and is available free.
Included is material on how to select
floodlights of all description: general-
purpose, heavy-duty, mercury \apor.
special, and for hazardous locations;
searchlights, underwater lighting, flood-
light poles, accessories, installation sug^
pest ions, and lighting calculations. For
your copy of this 183-paj:e bulletin
write Crouse-Hinds Company. Syracuse
1, New York.
Remember. Folks! is a folder to re-
mind people to use courtesy and com-
mon sense afloat. This would be excel-
lent for distribution at marinas and
other family boating centers. (let a
free suppU from the Outboard Healing
Club of America. 307 North Mil -hiiian
\\enue. Chicago 1.
152
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
1)1 i HI U'l
Editorial
A
LEGACY
OF
PLAY
Airlie Oaks, Wilmington, North Carolina.
''Thus do I devise and bequeath
99
In 1907 the year this magazine,
then THE PLAYGROUND, was born the
following legacy appeared in these
pages. Every once in a while, since
then, we have now and again exposed it
to the light of day, for it should be eter-
nal and read by all who love children.
That year, Mr. Lawrence Veiller,
chairman of the New York delegation
to the Playground Convention in Chi-
cago, called attention to the following
will, as printed in the New York Times.
Ed.
I GIVE TO good fathers and mothers,
in trust for their children, all good
little words of praise, and encour-
agement, and all quaint pet names and
endearments, and I charge said parents
to use them justly and generously, as
the needs of their children may require.
I leave to children, inclusively, but
only for the term of their childhood,
all and every, the flowers of the fields,
and the blossoms of the woods, with the
right to play among them freely, ac-
cording to the customs of children,
warning them at the same time against
thistles and thorns. And I devise to
children, the banks of the brooks, and
the golden sands beneath the waters
thereof and the odors of the willows
that dip therein, and the white clouds
that float high over the giant trees. And
I leave the children the long, long days
to be merry in, in a thousand ways, and
the night and the moon and the train of
the Milky Way to wonder at, but sub-
ject nevertheless, to the rights herein-
after given to lovers.
I devise to boys, jointly, all the use-
ful idle fields and commons where ball
may be played; all pleasant waters
where one may swim; all snow-clad hills
where one may coast, and all streams
and ponds where one may fish, or
where, when grim winter comes, one
may skate; to have and to hold the same
for the period of their boyhood. And
all meadows with the clover blossoms
and butterflies thereof; the woods and
their appurtenances; the squirrels and
birds, and echoes and strange noises,
and all distant places which may be vis-
ited, together with the adventures there
found. And I give to said boys each his
own place at the fireside at night, with
all pictures that may be seen in the
burning wood, to enjoy without let or
hindrance. . . .
To lovers, I devise their imaginary
world with whatever they may need : as
the stars of the sky; the red roses by
the wall; the bloom of the hawthorn;
the sweet strains of music and aught
else they may desire to figure to each
other; the lastingness and beauty of
their love.
To young men, jointly, I devise and
bequeath all boisterous, inspiring sports
of rivalry, and I give to them the dis-
dain of weakness and undaunted confi-
dence in their own strength. Though
they are rude, I give to them the power
to make lasting friendships, and of pos-
sessing companions, and to them exclu-
sively I give all merry songs and brave
choruses, to sing with lusty voices.
And to those who are no longer
children or youths or 'lovers, I leave
memory, and I bequeath to them the
volumes of the poems of Burns and
Shakespeare and of other poets, if there
be others, to the end that they may live
over the old days again, freely and ful-
ly, without tithe or diminution.
To our loved ones with snowy crowns
I bequeath the happiness of old age, the
love and gratitude of their children un-
til they fall asleep. #
APRIL 1960
153
PLAYGROUNDS I
Climber-slide by Creative Playthings.
Let's increase our playgrounds! How many communi-
ties can report new ones? Long ago, in the days of
Joseph Lee, playgrounds were established to bring
the children off the streets, and the slogan of the day was
"Where shall they play?" If this was a great need in 1906.
how much more pressing is that need today!
With our exploding population, crowded living condi-
tions, and vanishing play spaces, it is more important than
ever to make sure our children find a bit of ground under
the blue summer sky for outdoor play. And that they have
careful guidance, by specially trained leaders.
The National Recreation Association 1956 Recreation
and Parks Yearbook* figures show that the 1,956 cities re-
porting had 18,224 playgrounds that year, but today, al-
though their numbers have increased, the need for more
playgrounds becomes even more urgent. Let us, by all
means, take care to allocate space for these in our commu-
nities now for today and tomorrow before it is too late !
*A new Yearbook will be published in 1961.
Norman Rockwell drawing by courtesy of
Massachusetts Mutual life Insurance Company
Creative adventure. Playground craft sessions should give
children opportunities to explore, build, discover, and ex-
press their feelings, fantasies, interests, and ideas. This
appealing paper-strip dragon is an example of the animals,
insects, birds, people, puppets, and masks children can cre-
ate on the playground, using only scissors, paste, and
paper. He is one of the many creatures to be found in
Adventures with Scissors and Paper (review on Page 192).
Sputniks and I i-
Put on your space suits, fasten your helmets, and prepare
for the countdown. It will soon be time to take off for a
summer in outer space on the playgrounds. Spate i- <>ne
of today's most prevalent themes for everything, and will
continue to be so. Sputnik will become Fun-nik on hun-
dreds of playgrounds in the next few months. Are \oiir
plans ready for launching?
Some of the playground rockets are coining down in Ha-
waii, too, and. from there on out, activities will include
ukelele playing, singing. Hawaiian dancing, games, mak-
ing straw hula skirts, leis. and flower crowns and bracelet!
in the craft groups. We hear, for instance, that all the play-
grounds in Tacoma. Washington, are planning to carry I lie
Hawaiian theme this year. Have you considered it?
154
RKCRF \TION
CTION 1960
Scooting
In Hammond, Indiana, our summer schedule for each
playground includes a penny carnival to be held some time
during July or August. Over the past few years, our leaders
have tried pony rides, pushcart rides, etcetera. Now, motor
scooters have become popular and we purchased one that
could be taken from playground to playground to be used
at the carnivals. Needless to say, it was extremely popular.
Each playground used the machine as a money maker for its
carnival, charging ten cents a ride.
In regard to controlling the rides, and the individuals
driving, the car was geared so that it would go about ten
miles per hour. It has a clutch that must be engaged at all
times before the car will move, thus enabling children as
young as eight to operate it without danger. Another ar-
rangement that helps control the operation is that the car
has seats for two, so if one child does not want to drive, he
can ride with someone who does. It is surprising how well
this works.
It is against the law to operate scooters on the streets in
our city, so we have arranged with the police to rope off an
area for a given number of hours so that we may be free
from traffic and police interference. This is important be-
cause it lets the children know there are laws prohibiting
scooters, and that they are complying with this law. We,
as a department, have not sponsored any races, nor do we
intend to do so. JOHN HIGGINS, Administrator, Board of
Parks and Recreation, Hammond, Indiana.
In Newington, Connecticut, Clem Lemire, superintendent
of recreation, has just terminated a successful program
along the above lines, called "Piston Poppers," in which the
youngsters made their own motorized, four-wheeled carts
from old power lawnmowers. The Connecticut Safety Com-
mission went on record announcing opposition to miniature
motor-vehicle contests and racing events for young children.
The "safe-driving education" aspects of such an activity are
being vigorously challenged. Mr. Lemire writes the Na-
tional Recreation Association, "Although our program was
never classified as a 'racing program,' we do not want to
start a controversy. We will reluctantly curtail operation
even though we have enjoyed two years of success."
A number of other communities have found that, with
one thing leading to another, the speed aspect of these pro-
grams gathers momentum, so to speak, and becomes so in-
triguing that the practice of safety measures becomes a
real problem and the program hazardous in the long run.
Some power-driven carts have been known to reach a speed
of thirty-five miles an hour, or over too much for a child.
Books on Summer Playgrounds
Our storytelling program on the playgrounds of Spring-
field, Missouri, needed to be strengthened. Therefore, Jim
Ewing, director of parks and recreation, and Leroy Fox,
city librarian, worked out a plan to make reading a part
of the summer recreation program.
A park board truck was rebuilt into a bookmobile, and
the library supplied it with seven hundred volumes. A sec-
tion of the bookmobile was devoted to books related to
each week's playground theme. The children selected their
books and reported on and reviewed them during story hour
on the playground. They also handed in a written record
if they wanted to participate in the summer reading club.
If they reported on five books during the summer they re-
ceived a reading club pin and certificate. These were given
out at the Annual Park Day the final week of the program.
Circulation of the books for the summer reached eighty-two
hundred. Though the children were not registered, almost
all the books were returned.
A most unusual feature of the bookmobile was a 16mm
movie projector installed in the front seat of the truck. This
projected the movies into a mirror, which then reflected
them onto a screen built on the back door of the truck. The
children sat behind the truck to watch. The movies, both
entertaining and educational, followed the week's theme,
lasted ten to twenty minutes.
A local library staff member was assigned to the park
playground staff for the summer and was responsible for
this program. The bookmobile visited twenty-two play-
grounds weekly. This was definitely a plus in new activities
added to the Springfield Playground Program during the
summer of 1959. BETTY MILLER, Director of Recreation,
Springfield, Missouri.
The Human Touch in Playground Direction
These suggestions are made by someone who cares for
kids. They are a series of ideas, taken out of context, from
letters sent by Mrs. Kay Brook to Wade Magrum, recrea-
tion superintendent in Jasper Place, Alberta, Canada. Mrs.
Brook served as a playground director and is obviously
a keen observer sympathetic to the needs of the children.
. . . Permanent equipment is a futile hope, but I should
enjoy very much seeing every swing in our playground melt-
ed down and made into horizontal and climbing bars. I feel
very strongly about swings. They bear the same relation-
ship to creative play that coloring books do to creative art
that is, swings foster sterility of expression, repression of
creativeness, and a passive, unimaginative attitude to play.
... I should like to see at least four sets of jungle-gym
or horizontal-bar sets, or climbing sets. I realize that these
items are very expensive. However, effective substitutes can
be worked out by using "junk" for example, old concrete
sewer pipes, cemented in varying heights and connected
with cemented old steel rods.
. . . Tiny children would love some really huge blocks of
wood, in various interesting shapes, sanded and painted,
that could be hauled around, built, sat on, climbed on. and
jumped over. A great, big concrete checkerboard, with
pushable checkers, would probably add to the fun. *-
APRIL 1960
155
.... The most popular art craft on our playground [last]
year is mask-and-puppet making from asbestos mixed with
stick-fast dry paste. We found that one hundred pounds is
barely enough. . . . got ours for about three dollars from
a wholesale roofing firm. It's quite common stuff, and is
called "shorts." Even mixed with water, it's nice and clean.
The children made some fabulous masks.
. . . Twelve-year-old girls are so helpful, they nearly drive
me nuts. I believe that other leaders have discovered this
phenomenon. In addition, they have a tendency to get
crushes on "teacher," and if two of them are present at the
same time, Teacher is loved to pieces, and can't move for
her eager and madly jealous little helpers. I've never had
more than two at a time, thank heaven.
... If a twelve-year-old boy is the only boy of his age
on the playground, and the other children are small folk,
this boy has a very good time doing action songs. If one
other boy arrives, they sit up on the swing frames and make
funny remarks at everybody. If more than two twelve-year-
old boys are present, the gang wouldn't join in Rig-a-dig-
jig "if you paid us a million, trillion dollars."
. . . Safety rules: Too arbitrary. Telling a wide-awake
eleven-year-old, who is bursting to set challenges for him-
self, that he can't go up the slide backwards, that he can't
climb the swing-frames, that he can't stand on his head on
the swing-seat and swing, is asking for him to put his
considerable powers of ingenuity for torture to make the
leader's life for the next few hours hell-among-the-trees. Of
course, children love rules the more and the more com-
plicated, the happier they are to try and break them. Also,
rules make them feel very secure. Then they know someone
loves them. However, rules that strangle a dynamic child's
own natural urges merely fill him with a gnawing ache to
get back at the "old lady" who is squashing him. . . . Con-
densed with permission from Leisure, October 1959. ^b
UNIQUE SPRAY POOL
In May 1958, the city of Stockton, California, dedicated
a combination spray and wading pool in McKinley Park.
Built by the South Stockton Lions Club and the city parks
and recreation department, the pool represented an invest-
ment of approximately $3,000 and actually cost the city
about $800. Ten yards of concrete were given to the Lions
Club by Stockton Building Materials and all other materials
were donated by club members or secured by them. Thirty-
two club members, working under the direction of president
Allen Dexter and Hap Crowl, dug the hole, which might be
considered shallow to all but those doing the digging. Men
from the city crews, under direction of Emil Seifert, direc-
tor of parks and recreation, built the forms and finished the
concrete.
The pool has a diameter of thirty feet, a minimum depth
of five inches and a maximum depth of fourteen inches. The
width of the deck, which slopes toward the pool, varies from
eight feet to approximately ten feet. The pool is filled by a
pipe leading from the main water supply at the spray and
drinking fountain area into the side wall of the pool. Flow
into the pool is controlled by a valve in a box located in the
spray area. There is a sand trap at the center of the pool
and a simple overflow outlet in the side wall. The pool it>olf
has been painted a light blue and the walls in pastel shades.
The pool is surrounded by a low wall, which acts as a
divider between the pool and surrounding play areas and
also provides a place for adults and youngsters to sit. It
also gives the pool a certain amount of protection at niiilit.
The wading pool is close enough to the swimming pool to
allow for general supervision by the guards or other city
personnel. When the weather is very hot, or the pool is
crowded, the spray may be turned on. adding to the young-
sters' enjoyment. As use of the pool slackens, or if the wind
comes up, the spray is turned off.
The pool was officially dedicated last May, with speeches
and appropriate credit to those individuals who had made
the pool possible.
Accepting for the city were the metropolitan parks ;iiul
recreation commissioner A. J. "Bart" Dentoni and the Hon-
orable F. L. Bitterman, acting mayor. Within lln.v minutes
after the pool was opened and the water turned on 1>\ Joe
Seklecki of the park department, children of the area "ac-
cepted" the pool joyously and moistly as befits a \\ailinii
and spray pool. #
156
RECREATION
Maze for wheelchairs provides a real challenge,
but does not faze the children as they whiz by.
This setup gives sense of security as youngsters
can grasp bars below and above them at all times.
Equipment must arouse a spirit of ad-
venture, yet not be too frightening.
I
Fun house is spread out to prevent any
feeling of being cramped or boxed in.
Learning to navigate "bridges and tun-
nels," a child loses fear of slopes.
"WATCH ME
CLIMB
THE
MOUNTAIN"
"It's a house!"
"I'm a bird!"
Children's voices ripple happily over
the playground at Rancho del Valle in
California's San Fernando Valley.
Their shouts express the special sense
of joyous freedom they find on this
playground, maintained by the Crippled
Children's Society of Los Angeles Coun-
ty, designed specifically to encourage
imaginative and creative play. The
layout offers broad play possibilities.
Standard equipment has been reorgan-
ized to give handicapped children a feel-
ing of freedom bolstered with a sense of
security while they explore new avenues
of play. It also offers opportunities for
normal and handicapped children to
play together. The equipment is ar-
ranged to accommodate wheelchairs,
crutches, and braces. The playground
is the happy brainchild of Jack Lear,
executive director of the county's Center
for Crippled Children and Adults. De-
signer Dave Aaron did the site planning
and arrangement of equipment and am-
bulatory devices.
With their exhilaration in grappling,
clambering, and scrambling, through
their successful play, the children
achieve a new sense of self-esteem, de-
velop a new attitude towards themselves,
are motivated to attempt the untried,
and glory in difficult attainment. d
\PRIL 1960
157
RECREATION and
DELINQUENCY
Does organized recreation prevent juvenile misbehavior?
NEXT TO THE international situation and the constant
interest in the latest political developments, there is
perhaps no other issue that attracts more discussion,
more Sunday supplement stories, more editorials than the
question of juvenile delinquency in the United States.
While there may be a rare variation, the general picture
these statements, editorials, television programs, and word-
of-mouth discussions present is a discouraging, depressing
image of the young people of America rapidly degenerating
into a mob of unruly, violent, disorderly teen-agers. A
peculiar emotion seems to develop whenever adults take to
the soapbox or editorial page to discuss juvenile delin-
quency. Nothing seems to irritate adults more than irrev-
erent or disrespectful adolescents. Words like "teen-age
mobsters," "hoodlums," "ferocious wolf packs," and other
similarly endearing terms have become standard copy in
most accounts of juvenile misbehavior.
The role of recreation in preventing, or alleviating, ju-
venile delinquency is and has been questionable. The pros
and cons are violently opposed. There has been a general
assumption that providing adequate recreation facilities for
youth is, in its broadest sense, preventive in keeping young-
sters out of trouble. Many community programs have been
deliberately trying to "prevent juvenile delinquency." This
has been a mistake. Recreation should be an end in itself.
The entire community should have the opportunity for good
recreation experiences for the joy and satisfaction they
bring. These activities do not have to be coupled with a
vague generalization that they might "prevent juvenile de-
linquency." There is no objective evidence that a play-
ground or recreation program in itself has prevented any
great amount of juvenile misbehavior. But first let me sup-
ply some background for this discussion.
In the midst of all this barrage of statements about the
present juvenile members of society, it is truly amazing how
DR. KINDELSPERGER is executive officer of the Syracuse Uni-
versity youth Development Center, New York. He was one
of the speakers at the 41st National Recreation Congress
in Chicago last year on this same subject.
The people will not listen to the plea that the des-
perate needs of youth be met with adequate services.
It is easier to punish. One important requirement
is supervised recreation (italics ours) sports pro-
grams and clubhouses that would enable the young-
sters to develop under the watchful eyes of trained
personnel. The Reverend C. Kilmer Myers, vicar,
for seven years, of the Lower East Side Mission of
Trinity Episcopal Parish, New York City, after a
serious outbreak of teen-age gang violence in that
neighborhood last August.
little is actually known about the real extent of the problem,
the nature of its origin, or the ways in which it seems to
persist in our society. Everyone seems to have an an>\\er
to the problem of juvenile delinquency. The police "don't
crack down enough," "the do-gooders" are too soft on
"hoodlums" these and other statements flow from the lips
of citizens in all walks of life. This is part of the problem:
everyone has an opinion about the problem of delinquency
but has very little concrete idea what's involved in doing
something about it.
A N INCREASING number of social scientists and oilier?
^^ have studied or are studying the problem, and the in-
formation gathered shows a certain degree of consistency.
We know a great deal about this phenomenon, but we still
do not have one single theory, which has been tested and
proved, to explain satisfactorily all those types of juvenile
behavior called delinquencies.
The problem is made more complex because delinquency
is a complex of both individual behavior on the part of
young people' and the amount of community tolerance IT
acceptance ori the part of adults in the community. The
same act. such as breaking windows, may be tolerated in
one coijwnunity, where the child's family will make restitu-
tion. In another, this act might mean calling police and
charging the child with juvenile delinquency.
Most Scholars in the field who have studied the problem
of juvenile behavior in recent years. generalU agree upon
158
RECREATION
Action in a teen-league Softball game
in Euclid, Ohio. Recreation should
be an end in itself and not be coupled
with the generalization that it
might "prevent juvenile delinquency."
Kenneth W. Kindelsperger
certain facts. In the first place, there is a marked difference
between boys and girls in the extent to which they get into
difficulty with the law. Approximately five times as many
boys as girls come to the attention of local police systems
for various acts of misbehavior. We also know that, al-
though some children begin to show delinquent behavior at
an early age. it remains relatively rare until the ages of
thirteen through seventeen. Several studies indicate the
peak of behavior difficulties, in terms of apprehension by
>olice, occurs somewhere between the fourteenth and fif-
eenth year. Most offenders appearing before police officers
seem to overcome their difficulties and do not reappear.
We also know that there is a higher proportion of chil-
dren living in cities or concentrated urban areas who get
nto difficulty than those who come from suburban and rural
settings. Some studies have indicated an increase in the
suburban and rural types of delinquent behavior, but this
s still only a small proportion of total youngsters in diffi-
culty. There are also quite marked differences in the types
of offenses committed by youngsters living in suburban or
semirural areas than those living in concentrated urban
areas. The city's size also seems to have some relationship,
he larger cities having a higher concentration of organized
gangs than medium-sized smaller cities. Not too many stud-
ies have been made of delinquency rates in relation to city
size, but there seems to be some evidence that the rate tends
to diminish correspondingly to the decrease in city size.
Even within the city itself, there are marked differences
n certain areas. Some census tracts will have a rate ten or
ifteen times higher in proportion to youth population than
other tracts. Depressed areas consistently produce an in-
ordinately higher rate of delinquency than areas of a higher
socio-economic status. Whichever racial or nationality
group occupies the lower socio-economic rung at any par-
:icular time seems to produce a greater number of children
who get into difficulty with the law.
Even the above information suffers from the fact that
it is based upon a system of reporting by various law en-
forcement groups, with a consequent high degree of unreli-
ability. Delinquency rates can be influenced by a number
of factors, primarily the attitude of the community or of the
police enforcement agencies. At any given time, when an
order for a crackdown comes, juvenile delinquency rates
increase. If there is more tolerance of deviant behavior,
the rate goes down.
TVTANY DEPARTMENTS of recreation have become increas-
- ingly concerned about the role they might play in help-
ing to reduce troublesome behavior in their community in
a prescribed and organized fashion. This is not something
to be entered into casually or with any assumption that
mere extension of existing services will meet the particular
needs of the more troublesome youth. Sometimes, the con-
tinuation of traditional recreation activities in difficult areas
can actually increase the opportunity for youngsters to par-
ticipate in delinquent activities. In a great many ways de-
linquency is recreation (the wrong kind), but certain other
concrete procedures have to be adopted if a recreation pro-
gram is to meet a particular community's need in reducing
troublesome behavior.
In the first place, any recreation program particularly
geared to this type of area must be free to adapt its program
to meet the needs of these youngsters. In a large urban
center this implies working with street gangs in nontradi-
tional settings (see Page 162). It calls for small group ac-
tivities, with decreased emphasis on mass activities. It
means experimental use of different types of recreation
activities, such as programs involving automobiles and par-
ticipation in work-camp experiences. Many of these activi-
ties must be carried on away from the traditional commu-
nity center or recreation facility.
In the second place, there has to be distinct consideration
given to special leadership. Workers going into high-delin-
quency areas need additional training in understanding
group process, handling aggressive behavior, and an ability
to function in potentially dangerous situations. These abil-
ities are more closely related to the kinds of training re-
ceived by social workers. Training in itself, however, is not
the whole answer. Personalities who can operate effectively
in these settings must also be very carefully selected. *-
APRIL 1960
159
Finally, this kind of recreation program has to be care-
fully integrated into the total community services, on a
planned basis. This involves frequent consultation with
such groups as police officers, social workers, and neighbor-
hood organizations. This also implies some conscious plan
of interagency cooperation so that emergencies may be
handled in a constructive way. A planned program of rec-
reation services in a highly delinquent area must involve a
large degree of this kind of cooperation.
All this adds up to the rather blunt statement that if a
recreation department or agency wants to get involved in a
serious program related to the specific problem of reducing
troublesome and delinquent behavior, it should do it with
its eyes open and with a realization of the difficulties in-
volved. A fuzzy-minded approach with rather general goals
often does more harm than good. A recreation program
does not have to be defended in terms of its ability to pre-
vent delinquency. It has a legitimate and intrinsic function
in its own right in the general welfare of the community.
When it does specifically focus on high-delinquency areas,
however, recreation can be a very significant part of the
total community approach to this problem, if some of the
safeguards mentioned above are built into the program.
One final comment seems appropriate. Our knowledge
about the forces that propel young people into deviant or
delinquent behavior is rapidly increasing. There still is a
lot we do not know. Any organized community program
specifically geared to the reduction of delinquent behavior
has a responsibility to build into its function a dedication
to research and scientific inquiry.
We can achieve this only through organized research in-
volving the use of social scientists as participating team
members in our efforts. Critical evaluation may prove dis-
astrous to some of our traditional assumptions in the rec-
reation field, particularly in this area of working with the
more troublesome and delinquent youngsters. But in the
long pull, careful programing, with honest appraisal of what
we do while we are doing it, will give us a much firmer base
from which to deal with future problems. We may never
eliminate the problem of juvenile delinquency, but we can
make some substantial strides in reducing the amount of
delinquency. #
MORE FUN IN PENN'S WOODS
The following letter, in the Philadel-
phia Evening Bulletin of January 9,
1960, describes state action which might
well be used as a pattern for other parts
of the country. Contemplation of such
expansion was first evidenced in 1958,
when Pennsylvania commissioned the
National Recreation Association to
make a study of existing state recrea-
tion areas. It is reprinted with permis-
sion of the Bulletin.
T WAS HIGHLY pleased to note the edi-
torial entitled "An Appreciated As-
set" . . . describing the skyrocketing use
being made of Pennsylvania's State
Park system.
As you well know, the interest in out-
door recreation has increased by leaps
and bounds in the past decade. In Penn-
sylvania, alone, it has more than tripled.
One amazing statistic: In the first nine
months of 1959, more people bought
new boats in California than purchased
new automobiles.
To my mind, however, such statistics
reflect more than the simple fact that
Americans like to have a good time.
For the first time in history, our society
affords enough leisure, high enough
wages, and good enough transportation
to make it possible for everyone to en-
joy the "good life."
Today's Americans look for recrea-
tional facilities, just as they look for
good schools and transportation, before
they choose the place they want to live.
Industry, well aware of this, selects
plant sites where its employees can find
the parks they want. Parks have be-
come, therefore, a very important part
of the economic picture in Pennsyl-
vania. We must provide these facilities
if we want to remain competitive with
other states for new industry and new
growth.
Particularly, we need recreational
areas ringing our great metropolitan
areas. I am extremely gratified, there-
fore, that the legislature has appropri-
ated $2,000,000 for the Department of
Forests and Waters to acquire lands
around Pittsburgh and Philadelphia for
regional parks. This is the beginning
of an important policy -a policy that
has yet to be adopted in other states.
That is. the policy of acquiring land for
parks before it is swallowed up by sub-
urban sprawl. If we do not meet this
need now, the land will not be available
a few years hence and people will look
elsewhere for a place to live and indu--
tries will look West for a locality win-re
lhe\ can expand.
I am convinced that we are on our
way to meeting the needs around Phil-
adelphia. The plan proposed by my de- '
partment for the Brandywine lia^in in
Chester County which will pro\ile.
when constructed, three new stale park~
for the Philadelphia area, combined
u iili the parks that will be built around
reservoirs to be proposed sliortN by the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the :
Delaware River, will help. But we will
need more.
It is time that parks, along w illi main
other needs, be made an integral part
of planning for the future of the Phila-J
delphia metropolitan region. Maurice
K. Goddard. Stale Si'cn-tnr\ <>j Forests
& Waters. Harrisburg. Pennsylvania,
MAY IS SENIOR CITIZENS MONTH
160
RK< HI \TION
INSTITUTE ON PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION
T^OUR of the nation's foremost per-
sonnel specialists will deal with the
recreation executive's most important
problem, "Personnel Administration,"
at the fifth Annual National Institute
on Recreation Administration, Septem-
ber 24-25 at the Shoreham Hotel, Wash-
ington, D. C. This will be held the
weekend prior to the 42nd National
Recreation Congress so executives will
have time to attend Congress sessions.
Executives attending past institutes
have chosen this year's theme wisely
when we consider that three-fourths or
more of the recreation budget may go
for salaries and wages. The subject
takes on serious, sobering and signifi-
cant meaning when we realize some ex-
ecutives claim that nine-tenths or more
of their day-to-day problems deal with
personnel. With one-third of the total
tax dollar going to pay the cost of em-
ployees at all government levels, the
public is demanding increasingly that
executives be trained in modern man-
agement and be highly skilled in human
relations and the high art of leadership.
The Institute will deal with many
important aspects of personnel includ-
ing:
LEADERSHIP New concepts of leader-
ship, human relations, motivation, su-
pervision, leadership development.
JOB EVALUATION AND PAY ADMINISTRA-
TION Job design, organization of
work, job analysis, job descriptions,
standards of performance, evaluations
of pay plans.
SELECTION AND PLACEMENT Recruit-
ing, selection, placement, promotion,
proper utilization of staff, merit system
forms, other central systems, depart-
mental systems.
MR. SUTHERLAND is director of the Rec-
reation Personnel Service of the Na-
tional Recreation Association.
STAFF DEVELOPMENTS On-the-job
training, off-the-job education, coach-
ing, performance standards, employee
evaluation, appraisal and motivation
counseling.
KENNETH 0. WARNER will cover selec-
tion, placement, and personnel systems.
He is director of
the Public Person-
nel Association;
editor of Public
Personnel Review,
Personnel News,
and Personnel
Man; vice-chairman of the public-serv-
ice committee of the President's Com-
mittee for Employment for the Physi-
cally Handicapped ; and member of the
American Committee on Inter-Munici-
pal Cooperation, and the Conference on
Public Service. His academic posts
have included chairmanship of the De-
partment of Political Science, Univer-
sity of Tennessee; and lectureships at
American University, Florida State
University, University of Chicago, and
Northwestern University.
The session on job evaluation and
pay administration will have Louis J.
KROEGER, execu-
tive vice-president
of Griffenhagen-
Kroeger, Inc., man-
agement consult-
ants, San Francis-
co. His former po-
sitions include those of consultant to
the federal Bureau of the Budget and
the U.S. Civil Service Commission; ex-
ecutive officer of California State Per-
sonnel Board; and personnel director,
city of Berkeley. California. He has
taught public administration and per-
sonnel administration in the Graduate
School, University of California; Grad-
uate School, U.S. Department of Agri-
W. C. Sutherland
culture; and University of California
Extension Division.
CECIL E. GOODE will serve as instruc-
tor for the session on leadership. Mr.
Goode is interim
executive director,
National Civil
Service League;
author of Person-
nel Research Fron-
tiers ; and editor of
Personnel Administration, bimonthly
magazine of the Society for Personnel
Administration. He was staff director
of the Second Hoover Commission's
Committee on Special Personnel Prob-
lems of the Department of Defense.
Staff development will be interpreted
by 0. GLENN STAHL, director of the Bu-
reau of Programs
and Standards,
U.S. Civil Service
Commission ; pro-
fessor of public
administration at
American Univer-
sity; and author of Public Personnel
Administration, a popular publication
among personnel directors and leading
textbook in its field. An outstanding
speaker and leader in the personnel
area, he taught government at New
York University and has been a visiting
lecturer at six other universities.
The National Recreation Associa-
tion's National Advisory Committee on
Recruitment, Training, and Placement
is sponsoring the Institute, to be held
the weekend prior to the 42nd National
Recreation Congress. Admission is by
advance registration only; enrollment
is limited. Inquiries about the Institute
should be directed to W. C. Sutherland,
director, NRA Recreation Personnel
Service, 8 West 8th Street, New York
11. #
APRIL 1960
161
ROVING LEADERS
EXTEND OUR REACH
Interesting experimental program in the
42nd National Recreation Congress city-
Washington, D. C. The Congress will be
held Sept. 25-29 at the Hotel Shoreham.
Edward H. Thacker
THE AGENCIES AND citizens of
Washington, D. C., like those in
most large cities, have been in-
creasingly concerned with the problem
of juvenile delinquency. Several pro-
grams have been instituted in an effort
to deal with this problem. In 1953 the
district commissioners created the Com-
missioners' Youth Council, an organ-
ization of dedicated citizens, who, with
the heads of district departments con-
cerned with youth, sought to develop
programs to reduce and control juve-
nile delinquency in the area. Through
use of area boards representing neigh-
borhood volunteers and professional
workers, this program reaches the grass
roots of the community.
Several private voluntary agencies,
with the help of special grants, organ-
ized pilot projects in critical areas us-
ing the "detached worker" approach.
Although helpful, these programs were
MR. THACKER is a recreation analyst in
the District of Columbia Recreation De-
partment. (See his article "Research in
Action," RECREATION, January 1958.)
162
abandoned for lack of funds. The youth
council then turned to the district rec-
reation department for assistance. The
council wanted a detached worker for
assignment in "Washington's wickedest
precinct." After careful consideration,
the department developed a program it
believed fell legitimately into the realm
of recreation service.
A recreation leader with a thorough
knowledge of the problems of youth in
the neighborhood was assigned to this
project on an experimental basis. He
was instructed to use recreation activi-
ties and leadership techniques as an op-
ening wedge to acceptance by the
groups in the area. The area board and
all related agencies serving the neigh-
borhood gave their support. It was soon
evident that this approach was effective
and the department sought and ob-
tained funds to broaden the program
into other neighborhoods.
Washington's detached workers are
called "roving leaders." The name im-
plies their function : to rove, to seek out,
to meet away from an organized center,
to serve those youths who do not fre-
quent the public or private recreation
agencies in the city. Such a concept in-
cludes not only the delinquent and pre-
delinquent, but also the shy, retiring,
introverted youths who are just as
much in need of constructive activities.
o FAR the roving leaders have con-
centrated on the delinquent and po-
tential delinquent. They have contacted
most of the known groups or gangs in
the city and have identified those which
require more immediate action. As
rapport is established and confidence
gained, the leaders have often redirect-
ed the activities and attitudes of these
groups.
In addition to direct contact with the
youngsters, the roving leader frequent-
ly visits parents, discussing home and
family problems, and relating these
problems to behavior. Referral of par-
ents and children to agencies equipped
to help solve these problems is a regu-
lar occurence.
Administratively, the roving leaders
are under the supervision of the assist-
ant director of the neighborhood cen-
ters division. This is the program
division which conducts recreation pro-
grams at neighborhood playgrounds
and recreation centers. Weekly staff
meetings provide a forum for the ex-
change of information and discussion
of problems and techniques. A psychol-
ogist is available for consultation on
the technique of dealing with especially
difficult behavior problems.
The roving leader works very closely
with regional and unit directors so they
may know of his activities and ex-
change information which may be of
mutual help. Roving leaders have ac-
cess to all playground facilities after
regular hours for use by their groups.
Generally, there is a minimum of inter-
mixing between these groups and the
regular participants in a recreation pro-
gram. When these groups are rea.K.
the roving leader and unit leader work
together in the transition back into the
regular playground program.
One of the roving leader's principal
responsibilities is to maintain close re-
lationships with all community agen-
cies concerned with youth. Since the
area boards of the youth council rep-
resent a reliable c-i o -ivlion of inter-
RECREATION
Narcia Allen (left) checks training
schedule with Mrs. Kay Caul, direc-
tor of neighborhood centers. Mrs.
Allen is believed to be the coun-
try's first woman roving gang leader.
ests in youth, these boards are most
helpful. Some boards have a "gangs
committee" and gather useful informa-
tion for the roving leaders. These con-
tacts often provide special services for
the groups and individuals with whom
the roving leader is working: tickets for
athletic events, movies, and so on.
Sometimes access is provided to private
organizations for use of their facilities,
such as bowling or gymnasium, or these
organizations donate supplies and
equipment for use by the groups: a
radio or record player for a dance,
refreshments, bus transportation, uni-
forms.
The youth-aid division of the police
department is also a willing ally. There
is constant but confidential exchange of
information related to identification of
gangs, their leaders, hangouts, prob-
lems, and possible solutions. Care is
taken that problem youths do not asso-
ciate the roving leader with the police
to the extent that he is no longer ac-
cepted by them as trustworthy.
A similar relationship is maintained
with social workers from the juvenile
court, welfare department, and attend-
ance officers from the public schools.
Referrals are frequently made to ap-
propriate offices of the public employ-
ment service and clinics of the health
APRIL 1960
department. Although roving leaders
are not fully trained counselors, they
can frequently discover the basic prob-
lems of their youths and refer them to
the proper agency for solution. The
employment problem is often encoun-
tered and, at the request of the recrea-
tion department, the local employment
service has assigned a staff member to
handle requests for tests and placement
of persons referred by the roving
leaders.
SELECTION AND TRAINING of roving
^ leaders is especially important.
They must have strong character and
possess those personal qualities that ap-
peal to youth : they must be understand-
ing, democratic, reliable, trustworthy,
and friendly. It is necessary that a
roving leader have a sound background
in recreation leadership techniques. Ac-
tual experience in working with youth
is better than education alone. Educa-
tion is important, however, with special
emphasis on behavioral psychology, so-
ciology, and group work.
Once appointed, the roving leader
gets a comprehensive training course
in methods and techniques, his relation-
ships with the department and other
staff members, and with necessary re-
sources in the community. Conferences
with or visits to welfare, police, juvenile
court, and other agencies are vital parts
of this training.
Since the initial experimental assign-
ment of a roving leader in 1956, the
program has become a topic of interest
to all youth-serving agencies in the city.
Many area boards have sought one for
their neighborhoods. Public officials
have recognized the value of this pro-
gram and have actively supported the
department's requests for additional
funds. Congressional appropriations
committees have indicated their en-
dorsement by approving funds for ad-
ditional leaders, so today there are
seven roving leaders serving a broad
segment of the city.
Recently a female roving leader was
appointed since some gangs have their
female counterparts. It was thought
that a female leader working with the
male leader might be an effective team,
so the department has added what it be-
lieves to be the first such woman leader
in the country. The department thus
has a "roving" roving leader who
moves from neighborhood to neighbor-
hood as needed. This woman leader is
also concerned with preventive mea-
sures, hoping to uncover a girl's latent
antisocial behavior before a pattern is
established. This requires personal at-
tention to each girl individually as well
as to a group of which she may be a
part. Time alone will judge the effec-
tiveness of this plan.
T> ESULTS ARE NOT easy to measure.
There are too many factors to be
considered, all interrelated, to permit
an honest appraisal of success or fail-
ure. Rather than claiming success for
its own program, the department be-
lieves that any reduction in delinquen-
cy rate or gang incidents is the result
of coordinated action of youth-serving
agencies, both public and private, and
the dedicated interest and concern of
many citizens serving actively in many
capacities.
Just as delinquency has no single
cause, neither has delinquency preven-
tion any single solution. (See also
"Recreation and Delinquency," Page
158.) The success of a preventive pro-
gram rests with a united approach with
all forces in the community meeting the
problem head on. #
The efforts of adolescents to achieve maturity plus the
effects of resistance they meet in themselves and others
combine to produce great confusion for them. It is no
wonder that they are mixed up and aimless. . . . They
are eager for whatever adult privileges they can get,
but are not so eager to accept the responsibilities that
go with them. Young people are great seekers after
pleasure but have strong aversions to work or anything
that limits or disciplines their desires. REUEL L. HOWE
in The Creative Years (Seabury Press, 1959).
163
Siebolt H. Frieswyk
Cultural Coexistence in
r 1O HELP THOSE who help themselves" has been for
many years the basic philosophy of the Rich-
mond, Virginia, Department of Recreation and
Parks. The application of this philosophy has led to the
development, expansion, and stability of its programs, pro-
jects, and consultation services to organized groups. In
particular, it has been demonstrated through the organiza-
tion of and assistance to the Federated Arts of Richmond.
All too often municipal recreation is baseball and basket-
ball, games and crafts, folk dancing and social dancing. In
Richmond, recreation services offered by the recreation de-
partment include assistance by the department staff as well
as lending materials to local organized nonprofit groups.
Such assistance, given through the division of special serv-
ices and events of the Richmond Department of Recreation
and Parks since 1947, also led, in 1949, to the establishment
of a Committee for the Coordination of Cultural Entertain-
ment. This subsequently changed its name to the Federated
Arts of Richmond and is recognized as the arts council for
this metropolitan community of 385.000.
Federated Arts is an organization composed of nonprofit
organized groups in the Richmond area, working and in-
terested in the cultural life of the city. Fields of activity at
present include music, drama, art, dance, and literature.
Active current membership consists of nine musical organ-
izations, ranging from symphony to barbershop; four
drama groups; three art organizations; two dance societies;
and one literature group. AH are actively performing or
exhibiting. In addition, there are eight associate member
groups interested in furthering community cultural life.
The major purpose of Federated Arts is to perpetuate and
strengthen the arts in Richmond. Its methods are varied,
and it maintains a strict policy of artistic neutrality in re-
lation to its member groups, with a guarantee of no inter-
ference in their internal operations. Plans are big and
exciting and, based on the experiences of other communi-
ties, should result in complete stabilization of the arts in
the hands of the community's citizens.
The Richmond Department of Recreation and Parks can
take full credit as the parent of Federated Arts. In the latter
stages of World War II two interest groups one in music
and one in children's theater were reactivated and char-
MR. FRIESWYK is consultant for the performing arts, Na-
tional Recreation Association.
164
tered. Both organizations asked that the then Division of
Parks and Recreation assist their programs by furnishing
supervision and, often, direction. The division accepted
the invitation because it felt that a vital, citywide interest
in such creative fields is an important and necessary part
of a communiu's heritage.
After World War II more groups of similar nature or-
ganized, and some of them turned to the parks and recrea-
tion department for similar assistance. By 1949 scheduling
conflicts were rampant and the eight staff members in the
department's division of special services and events \\ere
bearing a great deal of the burden. Effective service could
not be given, for example, when two groups scheduled ma-
jor production on consecutive nights. The department also
discovered that members of some of the groups were heini:
caught in a giant squeeze play. Competition for the time
of some participants was great, and there was ill feelin
regardless of the participant's choice of acti\ities. \inli-
ences also were disturbed. A spate of cultural acti\iiic>
one month and a drought the next month produced an un-
balanced diet and strained pocketbooks. The economic pic-
ture of local groups was indeed erratic for no one group
could count on a sizable audience. Con-dpu nll\ . some
smaller groups found it necessary to disband almost before
they had started.
Something had to be done, and the Department of l!r,
reation and Parks took the initiative. It called together the
presidents of music and drama groups schools, colleges.
commercial and nonprofit and suggested that representa-
tives of the groups meet together several time- a \car to li>t
production dates and resolve possible conflicts. The depart-
ment offered to mimeograph the schedule as a calendar of
events so that groups could have the listings at their finger-
tips as a guide when they wished to add or change dates of
their productions. Groups were also encouraged to (all at
any time to check the master schedule. Commercial inter-
ests said that availability of artists controlled their pro-
grams, hut that they would list their dates with the dep.nl-
ment so that others might work around them. Schools and
colleges felt that since their programs primarily concerned
their institutions, they should not he included.
Nonprofit groups readily agreed to the proposal and,
looking to the future, suggest. -d that art and dance !>< in-
cluded. They also selected the name of the Committee for
the Coordination of Cultural Entertainment in Richmond,
Hi i HI \i in\
Richmond
How a recreation department
can help community groups to
help themselves in stabilizing the arts.
and appointed a music critic of a local newspaper as chair-
man. Scheduling continued, as it does today, but its effect
has been much more far-reaching than solving the problem
of conflict of dates. It did not happen all at once, however.
The department of recreation realized that if the un-
healthy competition, suspicion, and jealousy were overcome,
the arts in Richmond could become a compelling influence.
It also realized that this would be a long process; nothing
could be forced; there must be a natural overcoming of
these obstacles.
T? ARLIER MEETINGS of the Committee for the Coordination
--^ of Cultural Entertainment in Richmond were marked
by a reserve and coolness on the part of some of the rep-
resentatives. But by 1952 some of the suspicion had been
overcome, and after a listing of dates one evening a casual
conversation started about some of the groups' more obvi-
ous problems. Before the meeting adjourned it had been
agreed that a survey of member groups be made, that the
committee become an organization with a charter and by-
laws, and a temporary president and secretary were elected.
The secretary was a staff member of the recreation depart-
ment. The department was also requested to mimeograph
the survey form and compile the results.
This survey included such questions as program, expendi-
tures including cost of professional leadership, clerical help
and rentals, methods of financing, major problems, long-
term plans and objectives, and whether or not the organiza-
tion was solvent at the end of the previous season. Results
indicated that nine out of twelve groups needed a place of
some sort. Of the three groups which did not need a place,
two were art museums. The third rented space on the third
floor of a downtown store. The other nine groups needed
workshops, rehearsal space, meeting places, and even per-
formance space that would be available when the group
needed it.
A second common problem concerned finances. Groups
were not presenting the programs they felt were needed and
desired because they lacked sufficient funds. Some of the
groups, because of the caliber and scale of their work, had
no margin of profit to cover unexpected expenses.
In 1953 the name of The Federated Arts of Richmond
was selected, and each of the groups which had been meet-
ing together was given the opportunity to join the new
organization and elect a representative to the board of di-
APRIL 1960
rectors. The temporary president and secretary became two
of the regular officers, and headquarters was established at
the department of recreation and parks. Federated Arts also
decided that a survey of existing and perhaps available fa-
cilities in Richmond should be made to see if at least a part
of the needs for space could be satisfied and rental costs
reduced.
The second survey showed that to renovate and adapt any
existing available facility for use by Federated Arts groups
would be as expensive as constructing an entirely new and
more ideal facility. Thus, thoughts turned to fund raising.
Several things happened, however, to postpone this for a
while.
The first was an announcement that the Virginia Museum
of Fine Arts had received a bequest for the construction of
a theater wing. The museum, quite active in Federated Arts,
stated this wing would be used exclusively by the museum
for a state program and would not be available for use by
Richmond's groups as such. This was, of course, thoroughly
understood by Federated Arts, but it was felt that Rich-
mond's average citizens, who must necessarily be asked to
contribute to the construction of a Federated Arts Center,
would not understand until the museum's program was
really in action.
The second factor was the presence in Richmond at that
time of a professional fund-raising organization which ad-
vised that Federated Arts and its individual member groups
needed a very full publicity program for at least one year
so all citizens would become more aware of the organiza-
tions, their programs, and needs.
Again, sitting around the table in the recreation office,
it was agreed that publicity was the first thing. Someone
mentioned the "adventure days" of the thirties, and imagi-
nation was fired. The first annual festival of arts was thus
evolved to make the groups' programs known to the general
public. A week of free programs, during which each per-
forming group gave a forty-five-minute demonstration of
its type of work, was coordinated, supervised, and stage-
managed by the recreation and parks department.
A FEW WEEKS later Richmond was asked to participate in
a one-day regional arts council conference in Winston-
Salem, North Carolina, and to describe how it had managed
to coordinate the local groups into the festival of arts peace-
fully. The secretary attended this conference and explained
165
that the municipal recreation department had been responsi-
ble for coordinating the festival, and that there had been
no problems. The Winston-Salem meeting opened greater
doors to Federated Arts for it became aware of many other
possible features and aims for its organization.
For many years the recreation department had coordi-
nated and directed a series of pop concerts at the Carillon,
Virginia's World War I memorial. The State Department
of Conservation and Economic Development had sponsored
these concerts and the Recording Industry Trust Fund had
presented one or two concerts in addition. The recreation
department had also sponsored and produced a Sunday
afternoon series of children's plays in an adjoining "ravine"
called Dogwood Dell. The department looked forward to
the day when an amphitheater would be constructed at the
site. But the construction seemed to be a long way off, if the
planning commission's recommendations were followed in
sequence.
The Richmond-Jamestown Festival Committee, with the
support of Federated Arts, was instrumental in getting the
amphitheater constructed by the city in time for the summer
of the 1957 Jamestown Festival celebrated by all Virginia
communities. When additional funds were made available
through the committee, Federated Arts agreed to lend its
Festival of Arts name to an eight-week summer program.
Member groups performed on various nights and were
joined in the festival by the pop concert and children's play
series. The Recording Industry Trust Fund increased the
number of its concerts and the State Department of Con-
servation and Economic Development provided additional
funds so that the bells of the carillon could be played each
night. The entire festival was presented by Federated Arts.
This pattern has continued each summer since 1957, with
a local bank taking the place of the Richmond-Jamestown
Festival Committee as sponsor. Attendance at the free pro-
grams during the summer is estimated at about fifty thou-
sand as compared to twenty-five hundred for the first festival
presented indoors in the spring.
Federated Arts uses the recreation department's mailing
address. Its mimeographing is done by the department on
stationery now happily furnished by the arts council. Until
July 1959 a staff member, using the title of executive sec-
retary, for convenience of communication, served officially
on office time. July brought a reorganization of the depart-
ment and a promotion to this staff member, so that she now
is the volunteer executive secretary doing most of the work
on her own time. This does not mean that the department
has dropped its assistance to Federated Arts, for clerical
services are still available as well as consultation services
through the new division of central program services.
The arts in the community are also growing, with more
interest being shown on the part of citizens. Attendance
figures are larger and member groups and possible partici-
pants are more concerned now with stabilizing the picture
than with organizing new groups which duplicate services.
Federated Arts knows that it is closer to realizing some of
its long-range plans, which will help its member groups to
increase in stature and strength as the years go by.
fT\nE DAY is rapidly approaching when Federated Arts will
-- initiate fund raising and some type of building pro-
gram. It is on the brink of a limited funds appeal to set up
its own office and professional staff. When this is done, Fed-
erated Arts can offer more vital and continuing services to
its twenty-eight member groups and. depending upon the
requests of the groups, will include central clerical and fil-
ing services, mailing, and publicity as a start, in addition
to the services mentioned earlier. When this day arrives,
the recreation department expects to assume its place as a
mere associate member, but will continue its interest and
helpfulness and, if necessary, guidance.
With an office of its own established, the next step for
Federated Arts should be coordinated or united fund-raising
campaigns to supply needed money to member groups and
to finance the establishment of an arts center containing an
auditorium, studios, rehearsal and meeting rooms, work-
shops, and display area. But Federated Arts is also finding
the time to help in the growth of the arts and of arts councils
throughout the country. In September 1959 arts councils
and about-to-be arts councils in the three-state area of North
and South Carolina and Virginia met for a conference in
Winston-Salem. The groups present, which included repre-
sentatives of sixteen cities and towns, decided to form a
tristate arts council. Subsequent committee meetings have
led to some definite plans for the tristate, including a survey
of the arts in each of the three states to determine what is
already in existence. It is a known fact that industry, think-
ing of moving into a new community, looks at the total
picture of the community, and that arts activities are care-
fully scrutinized.
r | v !K DIE is already cast for Federated Arts. It knows
that it is the only organized arts council in Virginia.
It knows that at least three other communities in the state
are thinking seriously of or are in the process of organizing
arts councils. It definitely wants company from its own
state just as the recreation and parks department wants
company from other departments in the arts movement.
But the tristate organization is only a part of the na-
tional arts picture. The annual June convention of the
American Symphony Orchestra League has for the past eight
years included a simultaneous meeting of and for arts coun-
cils. It is felt that in the not-too-distant future these coun-
cils, with the blessing of the ASOL and several other national
associations, will become a separate organization called the
International Arts Council and will provide the means by
which the movement will strengthen even more in Canada
and the United States.
Richmond feels that the arts are important in a commu-
nity and it feels that the recreation profession should aovpt
them as a part of its responsibility. It is proud it can say
that it has contributed some stability to the arts in Rich-
mond. It is convinced that recreation i> liax-hall and basket-
ball, games and crafts, folk dancing and social dancing, and
music, drama, art and other dance forms, for all apos in the
community including those enthusiasts who have nri;;ini/i-(l
to help themselves. #
166
KKCRKATION
"WAKE UP
AND READ,
YOUNG
AMERICA!"
Promote reading along with sports. Start some new project
to stimulate young people's reading during National
Library Week, April 3-9, 1960.
THE GREATEST NUMBER of drop-offs
and drop-outs in reading occur
during the teen years. At four-
teen a boy no longer reads books of
high adventure to which he had been
devoted at ten or the stories of space
travel and books of "plain facts" to
which he had turned his attention at
eleven, twelve, and thirteen. At four-
teen he tells his Boys' Club librarian
that he has no time to read. Oh, he
reads, but only "for assignments."
Why has he dropped his voluntary
reading to only a few books a year?
The disclination to read for the pure
joy of it or for personal satisfaction in-
fects far too many teen-agers. We know
that lack of books in the home environ-
ment, absence of an atmosphere condu-
cive to reading, and want of positive
attitudes toward books and reading,
particularly among their peers, are fac-
tors associated with teen-age drop-offs.
For almost a hundred years now (the
Boys' Club of America movement start-
ed in New England in the 1860's) , indi-
vidual Boys' Clubs have been encourag-
ing boys from eight to eighteen to read
by providing books they like in an at-
mosphere where reading was an activity
one of the things to do in free time.
The clubs have utilized many money-
raising schemes to buy books in the
past, but last year a new project was
inaugurated that could be utilized by
any recreation department or club in-
terested in building its library and in
inspiring youngsters' desire to read.
Miss VINTON is director of the Boys'
Clubs of America Publications Service.
Last year the Boys' Clubs of America
were fortunate in having a group of
people undertake a project aimed at
inculcating teen-agers with a taste for
reading. Called "Wake Up and Read,
Young America," this project involved
a large number of nationwide Boys'
Clubs. A local sponsor was selected to
make the gift presentation to a Boys'
Club, on behalf of the group of donors
of a basic library of fifty paperback
books. These presentations were sched-
uled to take place during National Li-
brary Week or near that date.
Each club alerted newspapers, radio,
and TV stations to the gift, and to the
intent of the project. In every instance,
the club received wholehearted response
from all mass media in the area. A
ceremony was held the day the local
sponsor presented the gift to the Boys'
Club library, and the event was given
all the fanfare accompanying an impor-
tant local sports affair. Sponsors, club
executives, and young readers (as
though they were on varsity teams) got
their pictures in the newspaper, heard
their voices over the radio, and saw
themselves on television. Some sixty of
these events took place all over the coun-
try during this period.
What did these ceremonial events do
for reading? They made books and
reading important in each of those com-
munities not important as culture or
as something valuable ten years hence,
but important to one's own peers right
here and now. A reader was not some-
one alone and apart; he was recognized
as a participant. And nothing so ap-
peals to the teen-ager as participation.
Iris Vinton
One result of this special project
and its concomitant fanfare was the
tremendous rise in reading interest,
not of club books alone, either. Local
libraries reported a rise in books bor-
rowed by teen-age youngsters. Many
clubs said the books from the project
were loaned out almost immediately,
and club leaders and directors were ap-
pealing for more books any kind.
The boys' general reaction may be
summed up in this comment from a six-
teen-year-old : "All of us were standing
around looking through the books on
the table in the library. Some of the
boys started to read, and I did, too. I
took the book home and finished it."
It was a case of "me too," for that
boy, and many another, who had often
remarked that he was not much of a
reader and could not get interested in
books. The fact is that he, as well as
many men and women, needs only to
have others do something to want to do
it too. As a teen-ager, however, he is
much more influenced by the approval
or disapproval of his peers than is an
adult.
Reports from clubs everywhere were
enthusiastic about the project. If its
success has any overall meaning what-
soever, it is simply this : a gift of books
made in an important manner to any
youth center will capture their attention
and arouse interest in reading. Donors
might prove hard to get if the gift is
thought of in terms of hundreds of dol-
lars. But when prospective donors are
told that for about twenty dollars they
can purchase a whole library of books
for their favorite youth group and have
all the real enjoyment that goes with
making an important gift, they are not
at all scarce. Civic clubs and groups as
well as individuals seldom have an op-
portunity to give so much for so little.
The average cost of the titles in the
"Wake Up and Read, Young America"
gift library, sent to Boys' Clubs last
year, was forty cents; the highest priced
book, seventy-five cents. #
For the titles of the fifty paperbacks,
together with their authors and pub-
lishers, see Page 192.
APRIL 1960
167
Today's European playgrounds
sports, and muscle stretchinga
grounds, wherein children used
planned as "building sites" (II
amazing technical skill. At Cop
hundred small houses with
PLAYGROUNDS ABROAD
168
Small spring lo< -ntcil on
H it/i stones and made into n \
their sand castles. Logs and
ground is hard surfaced for\
pavilion with seats serves
ances. The coofx-rutifi' j>lm
It'liile there is no unirerstil
how twelve countries on four
and locations in Iniiltline. tht
RECREATION
s creative and artistic activities as much as games,
mark has progressed from its postwar "junk" play-
rubble and debris for "constructing," to play areas
nellegeplads). The children continue to display an
gen-Emdrup (left) the children have built about one
These are dismantled and stored during the winter.
Wendy Houses (left), displayed at an
exhibition playground in Sweden, were
constructed at different levels over a
sandpit and joined by wooden walks.
This material is reproduced, with per-
mission, from Creative Playgrounds and
Recreation Centers (New York: Frederick
A. Praeger) . Authors are Dr. Alfred Led-
ermann of the Swiss Pro Juventute Foun-
dation and Alfred Trachsel, Zurich city
planner and architect.
"All nations play and they
play remarkably alike."
JOHAN HUIZINGA.
I housing project in Switzerland (left) was lined
I pool from which the children carry water for
Ipes are very popular. A large part of the play-
Ugames, unobstructed by any equipment. An open
tmer for mothers and has a stage for perform-
mit-as constructed in 1951-55 by voluntary labor.
<tv>luep r int for good playgrounds, the authors show
itnts hive tackled the problem of different sites
rliVe and imaginative play centers for all children.
APRIL 1960
A Zurich housing development, designed by the municipal
building department, offers a large continuous green belt for
recreation purposes. Its playground (above) is in a sunken
area sheltered by the surrounding buildings. The sandpit con-
tains a tree-airplane. A leading pool consists of eight circles.
Indians and the Wild West excite the German children as much
as their American counterparts. A stretch of wasteland in
Mannheim, Germany, lent itself to a "Red Indian" playground
(left). Contour and vegetation offer natural habitat for stalk-
ing games. Large pond is surrounded by rows of stone seats.
Walls of one of the "Red Indian" huts are covered with clay
blocks (below) in which children incise designs. Their ideas
of the American Indian are certainly free-wheeling and ivild.
DUNGAREE DAUBERS
"Creative expression knows no season" in this
Long Island children's recreation art program.
Joyce and John McGinn
Dr. John R. Herman arrived one day
to drop off his children,
and remained to teach ceramics.
He labels his own efforts
in this medium "psychoceramics."
170
THE DUNGAREE DAUBERS are a free-
swinging, wildly inventive group
of elementary-school-age chil-
dren in Hewlett, New York, interested
in working in varied art media in a
loosely controlled, creatively stimulat-
ing atmosphere. The program evolved
from Gramma Drama, a workshop in
creative dramatics which flourishes in
the fall and winter months in the rec-
reation building. As a result of interest
expressed by young participants, whose
creative expression knew no season,
this workshop simply became an art
class utilizing the techniques of Gram-
ma Drama and moved outdoors for the
spring session. From the start, the pro-
gram has been a success and the
amount of effort put into such a pro-
gram is insignificant compared to sat-
isfactions derived and results produced.
Initially, the program was aimed at
first- and second-grade children, but as
the program progressed, more and
more young children were anxious to
participate. On an ordinary Saturday
morning, the size of the group will
range from thirty to seventy-five. Moth-
ers bring the children and end up hand-
ing out supplies. Preschoolers come to
watch or be watched and wind up as
pint-sized Picassos. A local doctor ar-
rived three years ago, chauffeuring his
three children, and is still with us,
teaching the techniques of ceramics to
a vastly enlarged family. An interest-
ing sidelight to Dr. John R. Herman's
participation is that the public-address
system in the recreation building is
turned on, with the microphone placed
next to the telephone, with a speaker by
the window, to permit him to recri\r
emergency phone calls. Once he had to
remove the clay in order to scrub up for
an operation.
MR. McGlNN is director of the de\wrt-
ment of recreation, Union Free School
District No. 14, Hewlett, New York. He
claims Dungaree Daubers are actually
MRS. McGlNN's creation, "The tech-
niques and teaching procedures . . . all
stem from her and I serve mostly in an
administrative function and . . . muscle
man . . . ." The school district's recrea-
tion formula appeared in a double-
spreail article, Are Your School's Play
Facilities Working Full Time?" in To-
day's Living, Sunday supplement of The
New York Herald Tribune, 5/24/59.
RECREATION
The program takes place on Saturday
mornings at the recreation building,
rain or shine, calm or windy, indoors or
outdoors, occasionally both. Although
the group started working in paint and
clay, the children will take on any basic
material and their inventiveness knows
no bounds. Wire coat hangers, quanti-
ties of colored paper, scissors, and
string produced mobiles Calder never
dreamed up. White tissue paper, scis-
sors, and a folding and cutting session
sprinkled every window in the building
with snowflakes. Wet newsprint and
colored chalks produced a brand-new
dimension in impressionistic painting.
No restrictions are placed upon the
amount of work produced or time spent
on a creative effort. Emphasis is placed
on individuality and a relaxed atmos-
phere. The two instructors act chiefly
as consultants, thought provokers, idea
encouragers, and general factotums,
ather than as teachers.
The children enjoy taking them-
selves, their materials, and friends off
:o a shady tree where they commune
with art and nature to their hearts' con-
tent. After early sessions, horizons
broaden and the subject matter is liter-
ally limitless. There have been epidem-
ics of swarming butterflies, Zorros with
and without horses, spatter designs bet-
ter than Armstrong ever created, and
many ships ocean, space, and other-
wise. Although the program stresses
the doing and not necessarily what is
done, the child has the right to destroy,
take home, or preserve his masterpiece.
The young artists work with the sim-
plest materials: 18"-by-24" sheets of
newsprint attached to sheets of Ma-
sonite with large triangle clips; muffin
tins of poster paints in basic colors only
red, blue, yellow, white, and black,
with plenty of empty spaces for mixing;
J^IO tin cans of water for cleaning the
brushes; and large, long-handled
brushes, with fairly stiff bristles. Small
brushes tend to encourage small paint-
ings and limit inspiration. An inexpen-
sive clay is issued on hardboard with
the ever-present tin of necessary water
to assist in manipulating. Nontoxic
glazes are applied after the bisque fir-
ing with small camel's-hair brushes.
Dungaree Daubers culminates in an
outdoor art show on a sunny Saturday
with paintings and sculptures mounted,
titled, and displayed for everyone's en-
joyment. On the morning of the show,
all the children in the program arrive
with picnic lunches and hang paintings
on the fence with clip clothespins. Bal-
loons are blown, and burst, and fly
gaily away on what is invariably the
windiest day in June. Parents and
friends gather to view the collection
with pride. The high-school jazz group
contributes a jam session, everybody
dances, lemonade is served, and a gala
day with the arts is had by all.
The many and varied paintings pro-
duced by the children in the nine weeks
of Dungaree Daubers present a colorful
and delightful panorama as they stop,
or at least slow down, traffic on one of
the main thoroughfares. They are more
than a collection of fascinating exam-
ples of children's arts; they are the
freely chosen, fun-filled exploratory
steps into what could be a strong, af-
firmative recreation pursuit for the rest
of their lives.
Federal Urban Planning Assistance
As an aid to the planning of public recreation facilities 7960.
THE PROGRAM OF FEDERAL grants-in-
aid for urban planning was estab-
ished by Section 701 of the Housing
Act of 1954 and is generally known as
'the 701 Program." It was substantial-
y broadened by amendments adopted
n 1959.
Under this program, grants, not ex-
ceeding one half the cost of the work,
may be made to official planning agen-
cies to aid them in preparing plans for
various types of urban area. The grants
must be matched by an equal amount of
itate, local, or other nonfederal funds.
As a general rule, grants for planning
in cities, counties, and other localities
of less than fifty thousand population
are made to official state planning agen-
cies that are authorized by their state
aws to provide the localities with plan-
ling assistance.
Cities and counties of fifty thousand
>r more are not eligible for grants ex-
cept on a metropolitan or regional ba-
is, in which case grants may be made
o an official state, metropolitan, or
egional planning agency having au-
hority to undertake metropolitan or
regional planning.
The 1959 amendments stress the im-
portance of planning for urban areas
in their entirety and on a comprehen-
sive basis. Comprehensive planning is
defined to include general physical
plans with respect to the character and
intensity of land use, programs for the
provision and financing of public im-
provements, and coordination with the
plans of other jurisdictions.
THE PREPARATION of plans for the
location of playgrounds, metro-
politan park systems, and other public
recreation facilities is considered to be
an eligible type of planning work, pro-
vided it is part of, or coordinated with,
comprehensive plans for the develop-
ment of the area.
A planning agency seeking federal
aid makes up a program of the work
which it proposes to do and submits it
for approval. Usually the program in-
cludes a number of studies and plans
incident to the preparation of a master
plan, and plans for the location of rec-
reation facilities are often included.
However, an applicant may request a
grant solely for the preparation of rec-
reation plans if it can be shown that
they fit in with general community
plans already completed or anticipated.
FEDERAL AID under this program is
not available for the planning of
specific public works, since provision
for such planning is made under the
Community Facilities Program of the
Housing and Home Finance Agency.
Also 701 funds may not be used for
land acquisition or construction; they
may be used solely for the purpose of
planning.
A city or county of less than fifty
thousand, desiring to take part in the
program, should submit a request to its
state planning agency. If aid is desired
on a metropolitan or regional basis,
application may be made either to the
state planning agency or directly to the
Housing and Home Finance Agency.
From a recent speech by TRACY B. AU-
GUR, Assistant Commissioner for Urban
Planning Assistance, V. S. Housing and
Home Finance Agency.
IPRIL 1960
171
The Jolly Roger
Beatrice McAulifFe Stone
PIRATES IN THE
PLAYGROUND
A program that gives scope
to the child's creative talents.
During Early Settlers Week the boys went all
out in reconstruction of pioneer America.
PLAYGROUND OPENING TIME W3S
just around the corner in Bristol,
New Hampshire. The Kelley
Park playground staff, consisting of a
director, and assistant, and a number
of volunteer junior-high-school young
people, had met several times for plan-
ning and training. They realized that
the playground program of other years,
though well rounded and attractive to
local youngsters, needed more color
with an opportunity for growth through
self-initiated activity. It was decided
that this program could be aimed di-
rectly at the nine-year-olds and under,
three mornings a week, while their
older brothers and sisters attended the
recreation department's day camp. The
other two weekday mornings would be
devoted to baseball and other sports
and activities for all ages on the play-
ground.
The staff agreed that too much of a
youngster's time on the playground is
planned for him. They felt that in his
summer leisure time a child needs a
climate for growth through play and a
challenging opportunity in which he
can completely express himself in
MRS. STONE is playground director for
the Bristol, New Hampshire Commu-
nity Center.
172
group activities under supervision. A
program must not rob the youngster of
all or any of his creative talents, which
might have developed in his own back-
yard, self-initiated. With this in mind,
the staff began to search for a plan to
coordinate the many types of activities
possible on a playground and at the
same time foster every participant's
growth.
Two ideas emerged to stimulate the
development of a "Play Town." In
1950 McCall's Magazine sponsored a
project in Minneapolis, a "dynamic
new playground," where children were
given tools, building supplies, and a
fenced-in vacant lot, and set to building
"The Yard," a town of shacks, forls.
caves, treehouses, and so on. This pro-
ject had appeal, but the staff looked still
further for a method to coordinate the
many activities common to playground
programs. Disneyland's planned fan-
tasy served as further stimulus, and the
staff was on its way to devise a new
program for Bristol's youngsters. This
would allow boys and girls three days
a week and equipped with the necessary
tools and equipment to create appro-
priate buildings and props in accord
with a weekly theme chosen by the staff
for its imagination appeal to children.
In no time, waste lumber, cement
blocks, culverts, old cars, poles, old
blankets, and rugs became available.
Concurrently, the local park board met
;ni(l approved the plan for such use of
its area. It was somewhat skeptical of
possible adverse reactions of townspeo-
ple to the inevitable mess that would
occur in the town's only park. Because
of weekend baseball games played at
this park, it asked that all construction
be taken down on Fridays and put
away. This sounded like a real setback
at the time. Because of this stipulation,
though, only lumber, cement blocks, old
curtains, blankets, and rugs were UM'C!
in construction. A set of heav\ \<>llc\-
ball standards also proved valuable.
The first week of the eight-week pro-
gram was designated as "Early Settlers
Week." The first morning, after regis-
tration, flag raising, and other opening
ceremonies, a "New England Town
Meeting" took place at which time a
mayor and council were elected and
plans made for the construction of a
settlers' colony. The children worked
in primary friendship groups of all ages
while leaders helped those who were
strange, shy, or unpopular find the !><>(
working group to suit their needs.
On that first day, all nails and a lini-
RECREATION
ited number of tools hammers, saws
and rulers were provided by the play-
ground. After the first morning it was
evident the playground could no longer
stand the cost of supplying nails at the
rate they were disappearing. By the
second day every eager young builder
came armed with his own well-marked
hammer, saw, can of nails, and, fre-
quently, carpenter's apron. During
"Early Settlers Week," while the young
Loys constructed dwellings and places
of business necessary to their settle-
ment, the young ladies were busy sew-
ing Priscilla caps and making other
items of apparel for their play families
under the supervision of the crafts
leader. As soon as the buildings were
ready, the girls tacked up curtains, and
painted window boxes and house fronts.
The girls, too, initiated Sunday school
activities for all, long before the build-
ings were completed. They felt that giv-
ing thanks and Bible study were an im-
portant part of early Colonial life.
Youngsters were encouraged to dress
up every day in costumes suitable to the
theme in effect at the time; the leaders,
of course, did likewise. Donations of
several large boxes of discarded cloth-
ing helped. This delighted many chil-
dren who did not have this opportunity
at home, and it kept many of the very
youngest busy for hours. The young-
sters brought antiques and antiquated
household items for a midweek display
and discussion.
On Friday, final day of "Early Set-
tlers Week," the children celebrated
Thanksgiving. Mothers, grandmothers,
and neighbors had been invited by cut-
out paper invitations made earlier in
the week simple old-fashioned figures
whose aprons read "Come. Friday. 10
A.M." Visitors, invited to be Indians,
were presented with headdresses fash-
ioned by the youngsters. Everyone
enjoyed a program of old-fashioned
games and guessing contests. The chil-
dren demonstrated old-fashioned danc-
ing and action songs learned during the
week. Refreshments, cold drinks, and
cookies, provided by the mothers, were
served from the "general store." Just
one-half hour before closing time,
mothers assisted their children taking
buildings apart. The lumber was piled
against a nearby fence and covered
with heavy rugs and sturdy craft tables.
A FTER the first week the two paid and
^* 1 five volunteer leaders held a pro-
gram evaluation. They found this type
of program was easy to conduct and su-
pervise; their enthusiasm was tremen-
dous; they felt a real answer had been
found to stimulate their own enthusi-
asm and that of the children. The par-
ents, too, expressed unanimous approv-
al and praise for the activities offered
their children. The staff felt the possi-
bilities for coordinating education with
fun were unlimited. There just seemed
to be no end to and never enough time
for all the crafts, dramatics, games, and
dance possibilities. The children were
constantly coming up with wonderful
ideas.
"Pirate Week" was the theme for the
second week, and probably the most
popular of the entire summer. Early
Monday morning a captain was chosen
for the Jolly Roger to be. He delegated
work areas: foredeck, afterdeck, poop-
deck, gangplank, masts, treasure chest,
figurehead, portholes, and lifeboat. By
Friday, the ship was large enough for
one hundred pirates and every inch of
space was taken. Everyone came
dressed appropriately for the Spanish
Main (every scarf or sash from the cos-
tume box) . Each youngster had made
a black cardboard pirate hat, eye patch,
and mustache.
A pirate sports day was held mid-
week, and all who were able to "walk
the plank" (the horizontal ladder) were
inducted into the Order of Skull and
Crossbones in solemn ceremony. At the
same time, a great deal of free play de-
veloped around the theme. A Friday
"Treasure Hunt," with a mysteriously
found map as a guide, delighted all.
This article confirms the belief
that playground programs can be
creative and challenging. It also
confirms that success is depend-
ent upon wise leadership that un-
derstands the age characteristics
of children and allows a maxi-
mum of self-expression.
"Storybook," "Indian," "Cowboy,"
and "Circus" weeks were also well re-
ceived by the children and stimulated
their imaginations. During "Storybook
Week," Sleeping Beauty's castle, Tom
Sawyer's raft, the Three Little Pigs'
houses, Heidi's mountain hut, the Billy
Goats Gruff bridge, Peter Rabbit's
hutch, Jack's beanstalk went up. The
week lent itself beautifully to creative
dramatics and puppet plays, and several
commendable shows were produced
with the help of a number of mothers.
A party was developed around a sugar-
plum tree the upright of a tetherball
game with dowels lashed to it, gaily dec-
orated with ribbons and candy on the
final day of the week. Every child at-
tended, costumed after one of his favor-
ite storybook characters, and had the
chance to act out part of the story he
represented. The Pied Piper led every-
body in many rhythmic activities and
marches.
During "Indian Week," after braves
and squaws had set up their tepees (cov-
ered with blankets from home), totem
pole, and ceremonial fire, they grouped
into family craftsmen. Each tepee pro-
duced a different product: tom-toms,
macaroni beads (also used as wam-
pum), peace pipes, shields, and so on,
which were bartered when completed.
The girls potato-printed dresses made
from old sheets, later sewn up at home.
The boys fashioned breechcloths of
scrap leather during craft period, after
they finished building their tepees.
Novel headdresses were individually
designed from corrugated cardboard
and turkey feathers. Rhythmic Indian
dancing, to music and Indian songs
learned during the week, were part of
the program given for parents on Fri-
day morning.
During "Cowboy Week" two corrals
went up, each large enough for Pet the
pony who came on Friday to give each
child a ride. The children were not
told that their corral was not really
sturdy enough for Pet. They made
bunkhouse and hitching-post and
broomstick horses during craft time. A
hotdog. chuckwagon roast highlighted
the week. Many games and contests de-
veloped out of this weekly theme, and
no one needed to be shown how to play
APRIL 1960
173
cowboys and rustlers during free-play
time.
The play area boasted a number of
other typical attractions built with
available materials. The "Magic Carpet
to Faraway Places" proved very popu-
lar. This consisted of a carpet spread
on the ground, headed up by an eight-
foot stake, with a sign nailed to it, and
strings of flags, loaned by a local serv-
ice station, stretched from top of stake
to back of carpet. Here stories were
read or told to small groups by the
young volunteer leaders, or children
could read books of their own choosing
from the playground library whenever
they wished. A puppet-and-song theater
was easily built from boards and blocks
with plenty of seating, and, frequently,
groups of children would, on their own,
dress up and produce plays here to eve-
rybody's delight. The enthusiasm of
parents and townspeople alike was en-
couraging to the playground staff. At-
tendance increased over the entire pe-
riod, in spite of intense heat and the
many attractions in this resort area.
E YOUNGSTERS really have learned
to share and cooperate, handle
conflict, and real-life problems. Chil-
dren who had trouble getting along
with others soon learned to control their
tempers, to give-and-take or be left out.
With all the boys and girls busy fin-
ishing their "jobs." and directing their
own play, the leader actually had suffi-
cient time to help those who needed as-
sistance in learning to get along. What
counted here was the ability to do one's
share, to be fair, and to have consider-
ation for others. The youngsters de-
veloped muscular coordination, made
decisions, and stuck with their "work"
until completed. The projects remained
free of vandalism throughout the sum-
mer, and the only mishap was one
scratched foot.
One outgrowth was an upsurge in
backyard building activity which only
seemed to enhance and lend importance
to the program. These activities were
carried on during weekends and daily
after the playground closed.
The Bristol playground staff felt the
splendid opportunity there is here for
the integration of all the arts, for prac-
tical education, and physical activities.
It heartily recommends this type of pro-
gram. #
Plants Children Like to Qrow
CHILDREN HAVE a natural curiosity about plants, particu-
larly how a seed develops into a small plant which in
turn develops into a large one. It is natural that their in-
terest is held longer in plants with unique qualities. Speed
and size are most important to remember in helping chil-
dren to become more interested in plants. If they can mea-
sure growth from day to day, they are happy. If a tiny seed
grows into a six- or eight-foot giant, they will never for-
get it. These are plants children like to grow:
CASTORBEAN. This large, easy-to-handle seed germinates
quickly and grows rapidly into a large (6-8 ft.) plant with
some leaves 30 inches in diameter.
SUNFLOWERS. These grow practically anywhere under all
sorts of conditions. The Mammoth Russian variety is best
for a huge flower head on a tall (8-10 ft.) stalk. The plump
seeds are good to eat and good for bird food, too. The red
varieties and the double sunflowers are smaller but they
are spectacular nonetheless and attract yellow-feathered
goldfinches in large numbers in late summer.
MOONFLOWERS. The seed of this morning-glory-like vine
is slow to germinate unless the coat is nicked with a knife
or file (a grown-up job) , but the shouts of glee and expres-
sions of amazement which accompany the unfolding of the
first flower are not soon forgotten. The flowers actually un-
furl within the lapse of two or three minutes in the early
evening. Start these early so they will be sure to produce
flowers before frost.
PUMPKINS. Let the children grow their own jack-o-lanterns.
Use such varieties as Genuine Mammoth, Connecticut Field,
or a selection Burpee actually calls Jack-0-Lantern. The
sugar varieties sold on most seed stands are small punip-
174
The ingredients for a successful summer playgnttutd are
planning, program, and publicity. IMS! year the Colum-
bus, Ohio, recreation department started its summer play-
ground activities with an eye-catching announcement in the
Columbus Citizen. Cartoons (see above) were tied in with
special weeks and events and made an attractive calendar.
kins more desirable for pies than Halloween. If the vines
grow up on a fence, be sure to build platforms under the
developing fruits, else they will become heavy and will be
torn from the vine. A fifteen-inch square of plywood nailed
on the end of a two-by-four of suitable length makes an
ideal support. Fastened to the fence with a wire, this one-
legged platform is an inconspicuous support for each fruit.
GOURDS. In their endless variations, gourds are always at- x
tractive to children, but be sure to include some of the
large-fruited sorts: calabash, dipper, sugar-trough.
OTHERS. Keep to large, brilliant flowers such as /imii;i-.
marigolds, orange cosmos, cockscombs. In the vegetable
department, radishes are the old standby for a quick, at-
tractive crop. Wax beans and green beans produce give-^
away quantities, and carrots and beets are very easy to grow.
Don't burden the interested child with too much, but try
to include action and variety in his garden. #
Reprinted from Kingwood Center Notes, 900 Park Avenue,
West. Mansfield, Ohio. Vol. VI, No. 4, April 1959.
RECREATION
UNIFORM OUTFITS
FOR LEADERS
Virginia Musselman
It is important that leaders be
suitably dressed and easily identified.
THE QUESTION OF whether or not
recreation leaders should wear
some sort of uniform clothing
conies up some time every year. In
some communities, leaders want uni-
forms; in others, leaders object to
them. A discussion of this problem is
very timely at the beginning of the
playground season.
No one will argue the point that lead-
ers should be dressed suitably for their
work. This precludes at once the over-
dressed leader in high heels, costume
jewelry, and elaborate hair-do. Many
professions are identifiable by their
dress. It is a badge of office.
For that reason, it might be well for
a recreation department to pause and
reflect when leaders object to any type
of uniform. Is there any reason why the
leaders do not wish, even subconscious-
ly, to be identified as members of the
department or the profession? Can it
be that the leaders' attitudes reflect the
general attitude of the community to-
ward the recreation program? If so,
the department needs to examine its
public relations.
The reason may be, and probably is,
much simpler. Leaders may object to
any type of uniform simply because
they do not wish to wear the uniforms
to and from work in public conveyances
and on the streets. And in many com-
munities, planners of recreation areas
and facilities have given very little
thought to the needs of leaders. Partic-
ularly in playground work, that most
visible of all types of recreation, leaders
often have no safe place to store their
handbags and street clothes, and no
place to shower and change clothes.
Active playground leadership is
dusty, sweaty work. If a leader drives
to the playground, he or she can go
home to wash and change. Otherwise,
the leader must change clothes without
Miss MUSSELMAN is head of Program
Service, National Recreation Associa-
tion.
APRIL 1960
washing or must appear on the streets
as is. Workers in other professions al-
most always have an opportunity to
change to street clothes when not on
duty. Recreation departments would
do well to give more thought to the
physical needs of their leaders.
Certain types of recreation activities
suggest certain types of clothing. The
swimming instructor prefers a bathing
suit. The dance instructor can work
better in a leotard. The tennis instruc-
tor can be more active in shorts. To
wear a bathing suit, leotard, or shorts
on the street, however, would violate
the standards of good taste in most
communities.
For much of the activity program
arts, crafts, games, storytelling, music,
and the like the physical requirements
are not so stringent. Ease in movement,
comfort, coolness, neatness, and clean-
liness are primary requirements.
Then comes the question of what
types of clothing best meet the needs,
and there is no one answer. Certainly
the dress of the leaders, male and fe-
male, should (1) reflect credit on the
department, (2) identify the leader as
part of the department, (3) identify the
leader to the children and adults visit-
ing the area, (4) be suitable to the type
of work performed, and (5) be flatter-
ing to everyone.
Probably the most appropriate cloth-
ing for the average woman leader is a
simple one- or two-piece dress of drip-
dry cotton, the skirt wide enough to
provide freedom of movement. Short-
sleeved sports shirts and slacks look
well on most men. Some sort of identi-
fying armband, insignia, badge, cap, or
other identification should be plainly
visible.
By using a uniform insignia, a lee-
way in color selection might be possible
in many departments, or even choice of
several colors might be permitted. Play-
grounds are getting more and more col-
orful. Leaders' dress might well follow
suit. There is no reason, for example,
that leaders of teen-age groups, leaders
of preschool groups, storytellers, music
leaders, craft leaders, etcetera might
not each have an identifying color. For
small departments with limited staff, a
choice of a few pastel colors might be
enough.
One large department requires dark
green uniforms for men and women,
cotton in summer, wool in winter. An-
other requires gray slacks and white or
gray shirts for men, medium dark-blue
one- or two-piece dresses, or white
blouses and blue skirts for women. An-
other uses an aqua coverall type of uni-
form for women, with red insignia.
Many use pastel colors. Some prohibit
slacks and shorts for women. Some re-
quire shirts and slacks for men. All
mention the need for suitable, neat
clothing, and low-heeled shoes. A large
department might make arrangements
with some department store or manu-
facturing company to supply these rea-
sonably. In a smaller community, the
selection would have to be left to the
availability of some suitable style. In
any case, the type and cost of dress se-
lected should not be a hardship on the
leader.
This whole question of uniform
dress, in departments that have not yet
developed a specific policy, should be
worked out cooperatively with the staff,
to consider, in a democratic manner,
the best policy for the good of the de-
partment and leader. Each has an ob-
ligation to the other. The leaders are
a visible symbol of the department, the
line of communication between pro-
gram and people. They should repre-
sent the best of each. #
175
DRAMATICS ON THE PLAYGROUND
Nancy Eichsteadt
THE PREMIERE PERFORMANCE of
The Three Billy Goats Gruff was
about to begin on a sunny slope
outside Lydell School in Whitefish Bay,
a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Six solemn little children bearing tree
branches trooped around the corner of
the building and took their assigned
places; they were the trees. Then the
troll, with a curly paper mask with nasty
eyebrows and a fierce scowl, climbed
under an old school table. One young
man stood up importantly before the
assembled audience. There were moth-
ers with baby carriages and many chil-
dren from all over the playground.
"The name of our play is The Three
Billy Goats Gruff," said the announcer
in a loud, clear voice, full of confidence.
"The scene takes place on two sides of
a river and on the bridge in between."
One by one, the little goats slapped
their hands on the table, pretending
they were trip-trapping across the
bridge; for costumes they wore paper
tufts tied onto their chins. The audi-
ence was quiet, attentive in a story
world.
In the summer of 1958 the Whitefish
Bay Department of Recreation and
Adult Education ventured into the field
of summer creative dramatics for the
first time in a number of years. A dra-
ma specialist was employed to train
leaders and supervise a program of very
simple creative dramatics. We wanted
to involve many individuals who had
come to the playground for a variety of
experiences. We agreed a playground
was not the place to introduce scripts,
intricate rehearsal schedules, and elab-
orate productions. We wanted a dra-
matics program attuned to the more
relaxed atmosphere of summer play-
grounds.
Whitefish Bay is a community with a
MRS. EICHSTEADT, a member of the
Whitefish Bay Department of Recrea-
tion and Adult Education, is director of
the department's Bay Teen Players (see
RECREATION, May 1959, Page 197) and
has had extensive theatrical experience.
176
population of twenty thousand. There
are four public grade schools, and dur-
ing the summer the recreation depart-
ment conducts morning programs at
each of them. Three full days were
taken at the beginning of summer for
training of staff members. The drama-
tics specialist was given three sessions
in which to describe her part of the pro-
gram. The first period covered a defini-
tion of creative dramatics, the aims of
the program, and the scope such an ac-
tivity could encompass. This took place
before any people who had any connec-
tion with the summer program, direc-
tors of each playground and their staffs,
volunteers of junior-high and high-
school age, and supervisors of other
special activities.
The last two meetings were held with
the staff member selected from each
playground to do the dramatics; they
were accompanied by a number of in-
terested volunteers. In these two less
formal sessions we tried to cover many
phases of creative dramatics. We em-
phasized that dramatics, in order to be
creative, must result from the actions
of the children regardless of whether
the story is created by them or taken
from a story book.
We described simple puppet ideas,
such as using paper bags with faces
drawn on them and a rubber band to
hold them to the wrist; we suggested
a picnic table turned on its side for a
stage. We tried to make simple cos-
tumes available. We distributed lists of
pantomime ideas to be used as warm-
ups in the groups. We mentioned books
that contain ideas along these lines.
We discussed areas of the playground
to use a shaded spot, a kindergarten
room adjoining the playground, per-
haps even an activity room with a stage
in it. It was strongly suggested that the
place used should be removed from the
more vigorous and noisy games areas.
It was agreed that the drama special-
ist would come to each playground for
one hour a week; it was obvious from
this that there was no intention that she
should conduct the program. It was un-
derstood, however, that the program
would not be considered complete if
there was no development of the activity
before her next visit.
The program began with mixed feel-
ings on the leaders' parts. Some stepped
out with confidence and plunged into it
with composure and self-assurance.
Others were nervous and unsure of
themselves, but they were soon swept
ahead by the enthusiasm of the children.
Each program took on its own individu-
ality. One group found that they had
a ready-made audience in the nursery-
school program on their playground;
they prepared a play a week for their
young "captive" audience. We had pup-
pets made out of a variety of materials,
some even brought from home. We had
more elaborate productions of The
Princess Who Could Not Laugh, The
Peddler and His Caps, even Till Eulen-
spiegel and His Merry Pranks. Cos-
tumes were contrived from almost noth-
ing; the majority were invented by the
children from bits of clothing brought
from home. Records were volunteered
and music played for atmosphere. Each
group presented at least one play for its
"Parents' Night," an evening of fun
held on every playground.
In evaluating a program such as this,
it can be said that children learned to
think on their feet, to create roles. Sec-
ond, they came to realize getting up be-
fore an audience (and ultimately before
their classmate in -rhool) is not too
painful an ordeal. They all learned the
value of audience behavior, that you
aid other people in their performances
by being a willing listener.
We, as leaders, learned too. We
found it was not necessary to have a
>l>ivKill\ trained person on each play-
ground to introduce simple creative dra-
matics. We realized that it icas necessary
to help the children make up their stor-
ir>. particularly in the earlier sessions.
Our future plans are simple. We hope
to involve a larger number of children.
We do not plan for a summer activilv
\\liich will take a dominant part, but
rather we hope for one which will im-
plement an ever-growing summer pro-
gram. #
RECREATION
A NAUTICAL PLAY COMMUNITY
The seashore theme is popular in
play areas today. "But whatever the
theme, the important thing about play
apparatus on a playground is not what
you put there, but how you place it,"
says Bob Cook of Belleville, New Jer-
sey. "There should be thoughtful pur-
pose behind the selection and placement
of each piece. Each should give the
child an opportunity to choose among
several possibilities. . . ."
A PLAY COMMUNITY with a nauti-
cal theme* stirs young imagin-
ations to thoughts of the high
seas, buried treasure, and adventurous
pirates. The area shown here combines
improvised equipment with commer-
cial apparatus. Units are so placed
as to offer little adventurers constant
choice, challenge, and energy outlet. A
nautical play community, now being
constructed for the Essex County Chil-
dren's Shelter by the Belleville Chapter
of Unico, a national service organiza-
tion, was designed by Robert E. Cook,
superintendent of recreation in Belle-
ville, New Jersey.
Normal approach to this area is via
*For other playgrounds with a nautical
theme, see April 1958 RECREATION, Pages 106
and 118.
piles (sawed-off telephone poles) lead-
ing either to the boat's gangplank or to
the slide chute. Should a child elect to
climb the slide chute to the tower he
may then slide down the rope to the
deck, go on down the other slide chute,
or return as he came. And so it goes
throughout the whole area choosing,
acting, emerging, and choosing again.
The tower might suggest a lighthouse
to children: the twenty-one-foot-long
corrugated sewer pipe, a submarine,
and the canvas of the "roly-poly," the
sails of a square-rigger. The four-foot
plank provides a harmless outlet for
that little bit of sadism in every child.
The cargo nets and the rope offer lots
of climbing exercise. A little frustra-
tion is built into the improvised roly-
poly because the child's weight causes
the canvas to bulge downward, thereby
requiring a real effort to topple over
into the next lower canvas. The four-
foot vertical sewer pipes serve as refuge
to youngsters who find the community
play too intense. It is important these
pipes have one foot of earth piled inside
as a guarantee that the child who gets
himself in can get himself out. The
length of pipe is suggestive of a subma-
rine. The bowsprit of the boat should
be installed securely so it will be safe
to swing on. Color should be used free-
ly throughout.
Many things can be done with the
''play community theory," many themes
can be used, many materials can be em-
ployed. Improvisation on traditional
play apparatus imparts a new vitality
to children's play areas. #
APRIL 1960
177
A THREE-WAY
PROJECT
FOR
RECREATION
City-county cooperation pays off
in East Tennessee.
Frank D. McClelland
BLOUNT COUNTY, AN area of about
575 square miles in East Tennes-
see, lies in the upper Tennessee
Valley ten miles southwest of Knoxville.
Its western boundary traces TVA's Fort
Loudon Reservoir; its southern border
joins the Great Smoky Mountains Na-
tional Park, a considerable portion of
which was, in fact, taken from Blount
County.
The county's population is concen-
trated in the adjoining cities of Mary-
ville and Alcoa, which, with their
immediate environs, form an urban-
residential community of about twenty
DEAN MCCLELLAND, of Maryville Col-
lege, was chairman of the study com-
mittee mentioned in this article and was
chairman of the Blount County Recrea-
tion Council during its first four years.
178
thousand. Total county population is
nearly sixty thousand. The rural area
is not entirely agricultural, since a sub-
stantial portion of the rural as well as
the urban population is employed in the
three large Alcoa aluminum plants.
Blount County is richly endowed with
natural recreation resources. Fort Lou-
don Lake provides abundant opportu-
nities for boating, fishing, and other
water sports; Great Smoky Mountains
National Park offers unequaled facili-
ties for hiking, camping, and fishing.
Despite this favorable recreation en-
vironment possibly because of it
organized recreation in Blount County
five years ago was limited to modest
summer programs in Maryville and Al-
coa and a basketball program in the
winter months. These programs were
conducted almost exclusively by school
personnel, with voluntary supervision.
They were financed in part by munici-
pal appropriations and in part by the
Blount County Community Chest; to-
tal allotment for recreation from all
sources was about eight thousand dol-
lars annually.
In 1953, on the initiative of local civic
groups, a meeting of interested citizens,
including representatives of civic clubs,
schools, churches, and city and county
officials, discussed the need for in-
creased recreation opportunities. About
thirty-five representative citizens gath-
ered, and this group became the nucleus
that established the present county pro-
gram. A countywide federation of civic
clubs, through which joint support of
important civic projects has become
readily available was a by-product of
this group interest.
First discussions revolved around the
idea of a community center an elabo-
rate, expensive recreation building. It
-i it ni became apparent that, before de-
termining the type of facilities and mus-
tering the necessary public support, an
organized recreation program under
professional leadership should be devel-
oped. It was evident, moreover, that a
single center could not serve an area as
large as the county. Finally, it was
noted that many facilities in schools,
churches, and clubs were not used to
capacity.
As a result, the group agreed that a
well-organized recreation program us-
ing existing facilities should precede
any capital outlay. A committee was
formed in May l')53 "to study the pos-
slliilities of expanding the community
recreation program of the Maryville-
Alcoa area . . . and to make recommen-
dations to the group."
The committee spent a year at its
task. It sought the counsel of the slate
recreation consultant and the Southern
district representative of the National
Recreation Assoi-ialion. It studied rec-
reation programs in other places and
requested the slate planning coinmisfion
RECREATION
to make a recreation survey of the area.
Progress reports were made to the
group from time to time. The survey
was completed in May 1954 and was
published with funds furnished by
Maryville and several civic clubs. In
June 1954 the study committee made its
report and recommendations and pre-
sented the survey, Public Recreation
a Plan for Community Action, as a sup-
plement to the report.
It showed clearly that although pub-
lic and private recreation facilities in
Blount County were by no means ade-
quate, they could support a more ex-
tensive program than was then in oper-
ation. The survey also pointed out that,
on the basis of standards published by
the National Recreation Association, ex-
penditures were considerably less than
needed even for the summer programs,
and only a fraction of that indicated for
year-round programs in the urban ar-
eas, with no provision at all for rural
communities. It showed many geo-
graphical areas and various age groups
were without adequate recreation op-
portunities. It made clear that a county-
wide program was the only solution,
since some of the areas most starved for
recreation lay in pockets outside both
cities but adjacent to them. In short,
the survey, by means of an objective ap-
praisal, established beyond doubt the
need for an organized, year-round,
countywide recreation program.
E COMMITTEE accepted most of the
conclusions of the state survey in
principle. Since it seemed unlikely that
either city or county alone would sup-
port a full-time superintendent of rec-
reation, the committee proposed that
each of the three government units es-
tablish a recreation commission as au-
thorized by Tennessee statute, and that
the three commissions be directed by
their respective units to act jointly in
supporting and supervising a recreation
program for the area.
The committee further recommended
that an initial annual fund of at least
fifteen thousand dollars be provided and
that the commissions engage a full-time,
professionally trained superintendent of
recreation for the countywide program.
It was decided that the new program be-
gin with the more densely populated ar-
eas and be gradually extended through-
out the county. The need for developing
a long-range plan for park and recrea-
tion areas and facilities to serve the
whole county was emphasized.
The recommendations were warmly
received and approved, and the commit-
tee was instructed to proceed with their
implementation. The plan was presented
to the two city boards of commissioners
with suggested ordinances to establish
the recreation commissions. A resolu-
tion to the same effect was presented to
the Blount County Fiscal Court. In each
case a recreation commission of five
members was specified, two of whom
were to be ex officio representatives of
the corresponding school system, since
the initial recreation program would de-
pend chiefly upon use of school facili-
ties. In each case it was stipulated that
the recreation commission was to act
jointly with those of the other two units
to provide a countywide program.
In the face of some opposition, the
July 1954 Quarterly Court adopted a
resolution establishing the Blount
County Recreation Commission and au-
thorizing an initial annual appropria-
tion. Ordinances were enacted soon
after, establishing the two recreation
commissions for Maryville and Alcoa.
The city of Maryville likewise made a
substantial appropriation. The Alcoa
Board of Commissioners agreed to par-
ticipate with a reasonable administra-
tive appropriation, while continuing to
operate its own summer program. The
Community Chest later made substan-
tial contributions. After some delay the
members of the three recreation com-
missions were appointed.
The next step was combining the
three recreation commissions into a sin-
gle working group. A joint meeting was
called, and, after considerable discus-
sion, the principles of a working plan
were agreed upon. Afterwards a "mem-
orandum of agreement" was drawn up,
ratified by the three commissions and
signed by the three chairmen; and, in
January 1955, the Consolidated Recre-
ation Council of Blount County came
into being.
The agreement provided for a chair-
man, vice-chairman, and secretary to be
elected by the combined commissions,
one officer from each commission. The
three officers made up the executive
committee. Monthly meetings were spe-
cified. A two-thirds vote of the council
membership of fifteen was required for
the approval of the annual budget, and
for the engaging of the superintendent
of recreation, both to be on recommen-
dation of the executive committee. The
fiscal year was begun April 1, to pro-
vide early planning and budgeting for
the summer programs. No commis-
sions could withdraw from the council
without thirty days' notice before the
end of the fiscal year.
A PPLICANTS WERE SOUGHT for the
-^*- position of the superintendent of
recreation and carefully screened by
the executive committee. Decision was
finally made in favor of a coach and
physical-education teacher in the coun-
ty school system, a highly respected
man, whose appointment assured a sub-
stantial degree of confidence in the new
program. A treasurer was elected from
one of the local banks and bonded as
required in the agreement. An office
for the superintendent of recreation
was established in the county court
house.
Initial planning of the council was
focused on organization and extension
of summer programs. This was no
great problem in urban areas, where a
beginning had already been made; but
the procedure by which programs could
be initiated in rural communities was
not so clear. It was apparent that, re-
gardless of need, the council should not
attempt to impose a recreation program
APRIL 1960
179
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upon a community, but rather that such
a program should stem from a recogni-
tion of need by the community itself.
Thus, the policy gradually evolved that
the recreation council would cooperate
with rural sponsoring groups in devel-
oping community recreation; by furn-
ishing counsel, direction, equipment,
reasonable financial support as needed,
and publicity. This policy has proved
sound since it placed initial responsibil-
ity and control within a stable commu-
nity group.
Another principle, which the council
followed from the beginning, that the
recreation activities not interfere with
church events, brought approval and
support from church groups. No rec-
reation event was scheduled on Sunday
or Wednesday evenings. The summer
programs began after the Daily Vaca-
tion Bible Schools, held the first weeks
of summer vacation.
The first summer recreation, in addi-
tion to the Alcoa program, included
operation of four playgrounds in Mary-
ville and six in rural communities
throughout the county. Also, five coun-
tywide baseball and two softball leagues
were conducted. Most of these ux-d
school facilities, such as gymnasiums,
libraries, and athletic fields. Volun-
teers did much of the supervising; those
who devoted much time receiving mod-
est remuneration.
INCE EXTENSIVE USE of School facil-
ities was an important part of the
planned program, it was essential there
be a careful and farsighted policy in
this sensitive area. The council made it
clear from the first that every precau-
tion would be taken to insure proper
use of school property and that main-
tenance, janitorial, and occasional dam-
age expenses would be met adequately,
promptly, and without question. The
policy has been followed carefully for
the five years and the school people
have been outstandingly cooperative.
During the fall and winter of the first
year an attempt was made to broaden
recreation opportunities to meet the
needs of various age groups. The first
adult, square-dance school, sponsored
jointly with the local daily paper, drew
seven hundred registrants, four hun-
dred completing the ten-week course.
The following year a similar course
drew over three hundred, the next year
one hundred. Biweekly square dances
were held and a number of square-
dance clubs formed voluntarily. As a
result, square dancing has become pop-
ular recreation throughout the county
for adults as well as youth.
Evening woodworking classes, con-
ducted by high-school, manual-training
teachers in school shops, have proven
successful, with many husband-wife
teams participating. A chess-and-
checker club has attracted young and
old, chiefly male. Annual hobby shows-
have stimulated wide interest and par-
ticipation. Throughout the five years
of its existence the Blount County Rec-
reation Council program has grown
steadily in variety of activities and
number of participants, while it has
gradually extended into the rural com-
munities. In addition to eight rural rec-
reation programs last year, many of the
earlier local programs have become
countywide. Each winter, for example,
men's and women's PTA basketball
teams compete in lively countywide
leagues, and this holds true for most of
the sports programs.
Of course, much remains to be done.
The first five years have been devoted
largely to building a substantial year-
round program that would merit pub-
lic support as an essential service, not
a luxury. Attention must now be given
to strengthening the financial structure
and leading the way to capital outlay
for permanent recreation facilities. The
limit of school facilities has already
been reached; in fact, there are not
enough playing courts in the county
now to provide adequately for the bas-
ketball program. There must be more
room for clubs, crafts, and theatrical
productions. An outdoor swimming
pool is greatly needed in the Maryville
area. There is increasing demand for
recreation for the elderly. Acquisition
of land for parks and playgrounds must
be pushed. Areas along the Fort Lou-
don Lake, set aside by TVA for public
rrrreation and recently leased by the
recreation council, mui-l \>r developed.
A good beginning has been made.
The Blount County Recreation Council
has demonstrated that separate political
units can work to mutual advantage in
building community recreation. But
the big job is -till ahead. #
180
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RF.CKKATION
'Parents' skills are utilized
A Cooperative
Playground
Plan
John D. Dittmar
A UNIVERSITY TOWN with a bor-
ough manager form of govern-
ment, State College, Pennsyl-
vania, has eleven thousand residents
living within the borough limits and
thirteen thousand university students
who live on campus. The university is
the primary source of income for com-
munity residents. Two parks and six
playgrounds exist in the borough. A
legal recreation board was established
in 1946, and a year-round recreation
program is now operating.
In July 1957 the director of recrea-
tion was appointed director for the
area, which includes five neighboring
townships. At the present time, a col-
lege-area recreation program is being
organized. In 1955 the recreation di-
rector and the recreation board started
planning for a new approach to ade-
quate supervision of both parks and
playgrounds, a problem of too many
children and too large groups for the
playground leaders to handle. Another
question was whether the program was
adequate to meet the needs.
MR. DITTMAR is director of recreation,
State College Park and Recreation
Board, Pennsylvania.
The first step was gaining coopera-
tion of the college of education at the
university. Dr. Dorothea Hinman, with
considerable experience in family edu-
cation, was interested and agreed to
work with the recreation department.
Students were assigned to make fam-
ily visits in different areas of the com-
munity so that all playground neigh-
borhoods would be covered. The main
purpose of these visits was to ascertain
the number of children interested in at-
tending the playground, their interests,
what parents could do to help, what
kinds of supplies and equipment fam-
ilies could lend for the summer pro-
gram.
The results of this survey were tabu-
lated and evaluated in the college
classes under the guidance of the recre-
ation director and Dr. Hinman. From
this survey we found out where some
strong volunteer help might be enlisted
for the summer playground supervision.
Several parents from each of the
playground areas were therefore invit-
ed to assist in planning the next year's
playground program, after which a se-
ries of evening meetings was held in
each playground area, to explain the
program to interested parents. Their
comments were considered in making
final summer playground plans. At
these meetings parents were asked to
serve as volunteers for at least one sum-
mer playground session, and not more
than four. Response was excellent, and
one parent from each playground area
was assigned to schedule the parents
who would assist the playground leader
during these sessions.
Age groups were divided into four to
seven; eight to ten; eleven to thirteen;
and thirteen to fifteen years. We de-
cided the program should be more in-
formative educational as well as rec-
reational. A start was made by visiting
the individual neighborhoods to learn
what really existed, what was needed in
this area, and so on. Next followed a
series of visits to other areas in town
and then to regional areas. With the
parents' additional help we were able
to increase our trips, our special events
on individual playgrounds, and, best of
all, to encourage family participation
during playground hours and during
our family night activities.
The role of the playground leader is
most important in this cooperative plan.
He is responsible for the playground
program and general supervision of the
playground area, meeting with the
scheduled parents before the play-
ground opens for the day, meeting with
the parents scheduled to discuss the
program for the week, and assisting
parents with program activities.
The parents' skills included many of
the general playground activities such
as arts and crafts, storytelling, singing,
music, dramatics, sports, and dancing.
The amount of talent and leadership un-
covered through this parent coopera-
tion was amazing. We are planning to
organize a parents council next.
Through our cooperative plan we
have found that our playground attend-
ance has doubled; many more parents
have become interested in our total rec-
reation program ; our playground lead-
ers have gained the additional experi-
ence of working with adults; and our
community leadership resources are
really being discovered and used.
Summary of 1956-57 Playground
Season
Individual parents who participated reg-
ularly in daily programs 513
Individual parents who took direct lead-
ership of program 40
Individual homes that were open to small
and large groups 36
Individual parents who provided guid-
ance or transportation 327
Individual parents who constructed
equipment and helped in preparing
areas 77
Individual parents who participated in
whole family affairs 300
Mothers who provided snacks or treats
for the group 208
Individual parents who participated in
playground planning meetings 316
APRIL 1960
181
A unique and easy-to-teach
method of music education
for children
THE
PLAYGROUND
AS MUSIC TEACHER
An Introduction to Music Through Games
By MADELEINE CARABO-CONE
Co-author of How fo Help Children Learn Music
In this delightful and clearly illustrated book, Mrs. Cone has
dramatized the written language of music in terms of the
games children love best. Over 100 favorite games Blind-
man's Buff, Musical Chairs, Take a Giant Step have been
adapted for play on a music staff marked on either an indoor
or outdoor play area. With the bass clef, the treble clef, and
the entire Note family as companions, the children play and
sing in the land of lines and spaces that form the Grand Staff.
For parents, teachers and recreation directors (who need no
previous musical training to use the book) Mrs. Cone has pro-
vided a unique and creative method of making music a part
of childhood experience.
"All told, a most original idea, engagingly developed."
MARTIN BERNSTEIN, Head, Dept. of Music.
New York University
Over 100 line drawings s.Vdt)
at your bookstore or from
HARPER & BROTHERS, New York 1 6
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ampion*
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Research Revie
Utility Easement Policy in Parks
In 1959 the Albuquerque. New Mexico. Parks and Rec-
reation Department collected information from eight cities
on their policies with reference to granting requests for
easements across park land by utility companies. A sum-
mary of the replies, together with a statement from the
American Institute of Park Executives, was issued in bul-
letin form by the department. Among major conclusions
were :
1. Seven of the eight cities have either written or gen-
erally established policies regarding location of utilities in
park areas.
2. Four cities grant easements or other right-of-entry
across parks if the utility is to serve park purposes.
3. Seven of the eight cities demand, as a general rule,
that underground installations be made if utility must cross
the park but serve other than park purposes. Only one city
stands the additional cost, but three cities share the cost
with the utility companies in varying degrees. Three re-
quire the utility companies to bear all costs.
4. Unless utility lines are placed underground, seven cit-
ies require lines be routed around park areas.
5. City attorneys in two cities Denver and San Diego
have ruled the city has no legal means to grant easements
or other property rights over dedicated park properly.
Industrial Recreation Research Proposed
According to the January 1960 issue of Recreation Man-
agement the National Industrial Recreation Association has
established a research policy "to stimulate and coordinate
research by prospective surveyors, research students, and
others wishing to conduct research projects.
"Under the policy, proposed research projects will be
sent to each member of the five-man NIRA Research Com-
mittee which will recommend changes and approval or dis-
approval. Upon approval, the survey or questionnaire will
earn the statement 'Authorized by the NIRA Research Com-
mittee.' This policy will guarantee that surveys made of
NIRA members will be worthwhile projects condueled ac-
cording to approved statistical methods."
NIRA research director is Gordon L. Starr of the Student
Union at the University of Minnesota. The NIRA hoard
also made a research grant to the University of Minnesota
to study the relationships of employee participation in in-
dustrial recreation and employee morale, absenteeism, job
tenure, turnover ratings, and efficiency. This study will be
conducted both by questionnaire and interview with selected
firms in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Ire Skating Information from Michigan
The Grand Rapids Public Recreation Department in 1959
secured information from fifty-three Michigan munieipali-
182
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECREATION
and Abstracts
George D. Butler
ties with reference to their ice-skating facilities and pro-
grams. A total of 473 artificial and natural ice skating rinks,
plus two hockey rinks, were reported. Nine cities reported
refrigerated rinks; Detroit, nine; and Dearborn, six rinks
of this type.
Twenty-seven cities reported hockey, in addition to two
reporting a clinic. Fifteen had figure skating. Thirty-five
of the fifty-three cities reported supervision of one or more
of their skating rinks; three others of their hockey rinks
only. All nine cities with refrigerated rinks reported super-
vision.
Esthetics and Economic Development
The Conservation and Resource-Use Education Project
of the Joint Council on Economic Education raises a num-
ber of questions affecting recreation in its publication Re-
source-Use Policies: Their Formation and Impact. For
example : Is the economic development of a community more
important than social or esthetic considerations? Do we
want waterfalls or power projects? Do we want grass and
trees or strip coal mines? Resort hotels or untouched
beaches? A new lake or the old family homestead?
The publication comments: "Meanwhile, the drive for
economic gain has seriously decreased the number of rec-
reational facilities and areas of natural beauty available to
the general public. Unfortunately, there are no universally
accepted or right answers to these problems and each sep-
arate case requires a new evaluation of the evidence. When
we consider all the difficulties involved it is little wonder
that the progress of the movement is sometimes slow."
Recreation Use of Wildlands
The Wildlife Research Center at the University of Cali-
fornia in Berkeley has issued a report entitled Conserving
Wildland Resources Through Research. In a section relat-
ing to recreation it states:
"Recreation is exploding across California wildlands in
a way that couldn't have been foreseen a few years ago.
Recreational activities are accelerating at a far greater
rate than any other wildland use. And in some wildland
areas, dollar returns for recreational uses are exceeding any
previous commodity production values."
The report lists a number of questions recreation use is
posing each day, which must be answered with only a mea-
ger scientific background available, such as: "How much
and what kind of lands should be devoted exclusively to
recreation? What are the effects of recreation use on soil,
plant cover, and other elements of the resource, and how
can such effects be minimized? Can the 'carrying capacity'
of the land for recreational use be increased by modification
of the plant cover or by other means? . . ."
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APRIL 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
183
A REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK
Playground Swap Shop
Last summer the youngsters of the
Patterson Park Playground in Balti-
more, Maryland, held their first "Tom
Sawyer Day" swap shop in which they
could trade "good toys and games" they
were tired of for those other youngsters
were tired of. Children from three to
thirteen swarmed onto the playground
to swap story books, games, toy trucks,
dolls, comic books, and so on.
The affair was organized like an auc-
tion. Each child brought his item for-
ward, and the auctioneer authorized the
first child who raised his hand to try
and arrange an exchange. When the
exchange was agreed upon, each child
received two tickets ; if none, one ticket
each. The tickets were later used when
wrapped toys and trinkets, donated by
the Patterson Park Mothers' Club, were
auctioned off.
Playground Craft Service
Last year the Wooster, Ohio, Depart-
ment of Parks and Recreation inaugu-
rated a craft service system on its play-
grounds. Each week it made one free
craft available to each child, and addi-
tional craft materials, bought in large
quantities by the department, were
packaged into kits, and sold to the chil-
dren at a portion of the department's
Free craft period. This is one of the
multipurpose rooms in eight elemen-
tary schools made available for sum-
mer playground use in Wooster, Ohio.
184
costs. The youngsters could pay cash
or buy a one-dollar credit card, which
was then kept on file at the playground.
Thus they had a wider choice of crafts
to work with, both free and purchased.
Wooster also conducted storytelling
contests and rope-jumping contests
with charts to measure achievement.
On the Move
The Cincinnati Recreation Commis-
sion bought two new pieces of off-beat
transportation equipment for its new
"Land of Make Believe" at the Airport
Playfield off-beat in the sense that
they are not standard playground
equipment, but nonetheless what young-
sters consider fascinating to clamber
over. The first was a stagecoach au-
thentically constructed to three-quar-
ters actual scale. The other vehicle
acquired, as of December 1959, is a real
1929 Ahrens-Fox pumper-ladder fire
engine.
Currently, the commission is trying
to locate a small steam engine and an
outmoded jet plane among other things.
Anyone wishing further information
about how and where to acquire an ob-
solete jet plane should get in touch with
Miss Betty Bunn, Public Information
and Information, National Recreation
Association, 8 West 8th Street, New
York 11.
Salute to Dade County
Dade County, Florida, has been cited
by the National Swimming Pool Insti-
tute for having the nation's outstanding
water-safety public-relations program
for 1959. More than eleven thousand
children in the Miami area received be-
ginner, intermediate, swimmer, and
junior lifesaving certificates since last
June 1; more than seventeen thousand
first-graders received "Rockpit Ranger"
buttons and pledges last year; and more
than forty thousand children within the
county participated in the overall pro-
gram.
A special water-safety coordinating
committee, headed by Arthur Peavy,
Jr.. Dade County parks and recreation
director, was established to create com-
munity awareness of the water-safety
problem. There are six hundred miles
of shoreline, 279 miles of canals, plus
numerous rockpit areas within the
county. The award-winning committee
enlisted county-wide aid in organizing
and promoting youth and adult water-
safety programs, "Rockpit Ranger"
memberships, swimming and lifesaving
classes. It became a success through
the cooperation of city and county offi-
cials, civic groups, schools, the Red
Cross, press, radio, and TV.
Dade County won another salute
when its park system was rated among
the top ten in the United States in
beauty and maintenance, according to
Harvey S. Crass, president of the Amer-
ican Institute of Park Executives. He
pointed out that Dade's well-planned
parks were country parks a few years
ago. Today, they have become sur-
rounded by new home developments
and are fast being encroached upon
from all directions.
Mr. Crass termed Dade Count\V
parks "one of the best maintained s\~
terns I have ever seen." He said Mct-
Best in the nation! Arthur Peavy. Jr.
(left), director of the Dade Count\
Park and Recreation Department, pre-
sents gold in dial for best renter />;//>
lie-relations program of 1959 to Ben
McGahey, county commission chair-
man, on behalf of National Swimming
Pool. Institute. Looking on are Ed Shea
and Mrs. Marion It'ood Hne\. members
i> f water-safety coordinating committee.
RECREATION
ropolitan Miami was fortunate to have
Vizcaya (Bade County Art Museum)
and its thirty-acre formal gardens
under a park system operation where
the character of one of the area's great-
est showplaces could be preserved for-
ever, in the estate tradition, and prop-
erly maintained.
Boys' Club Centennial
A four-cent commemorative multi-
color postage stamp honoring the 100th
anniversary of the Boys' Clubs of Amer-
ica will appear in mid-1960. The initial
print order will be for 120,000,000
stamps. The Boys' Club movement be-
gan in the 1860's in Hartford, Connec-
ticut. In 1906 some fifty such clubs
joined to form a national organization.
Today there are 542 boys' clubs serving
more than a half million boys, and a
new club is established every two weeks.
Flashes from the Fifty
MICHIGAN. The new president of the
Recreation Association of Michigan is
Harry L. Burns of Grand Rapids.
TEXAS. Reese Martin, city superin-
tendent of parks and recreation in
Beaumont, has been appointed a mem-
ber of the Texas State Parks Board a
five-member policy-making body gov-
erning the state's park program.
NEBRASKA. On February 25, Mrs.
Paul Gallagher National Recreation
Association board member - - was
named as this year's recipient of Oma-
ha's B'nai B'rith Citizenship Citation.
The annual award is given in recogni-
tion of outstanding service in commu-
nity affairs and in the field of human
relations.
PENNSYLVANIA. The State Council of
Education has initiated a program of
certification for recreation leaders em-
ployed by school districts. At present
certification is nonmandatory and on a
trial basis. Recreation leaders who are
not now working for school districts are
encouraged to apply as the number of
applications will affect the decision as
to whether to continue certification.
IDAHO. In Twin Falls the Jaycees
recently gave superintendent of rec-
reation Ernest C. Craner their senior
distinguished service award for his out-
standing work. He is a member of the
Association's Pacific Northwest Dis-
trict Advisory Committee and was pres-
POXOLON
Yes, unique knowledge of techniques
for solving difficult pool finish problems
has made The Kelley Paint Co. a dependable
link in the maintenance of park and
municipal pools.
Our own special epoxy formulation, POXOLON
is a roll-on "ceramic like" glaze which retains
its fresh "new paint" appearance year after
year without recoating. Your pool's radiant
sparkle and attractive appearance will be a
tribute to your excellent judgment in selecting
POXOLON. POXOLON is getting to be known
by the company it keeps. It is getting around
in the best circles. Ask any of the older, more
experienced and better informed members of
the swimming pool industry. They are familiar
with the POXOLON record of achievement. It's
the ultimate in fine pool finishes.
16 COLO
THE
Write for FREE
Handy Pool Painting Guide
PAINT CO.
LOUISVILLE 10, KY.
3 - 361 NORTH MMQUETTE, FOND DU LAC, WISJ
Keep 'em SINGING
with these all-time favorite
SONG SLIDES
wonderful hours of fun for
young and old alike
2" x 2" slides 50</slide
3'/4" x 4" slides I.OO/slide
WRITE FOR CATOLOGUE S
NATIONAL STUDIOS
42 West 48lh Street
New York 36, N. Y.
JUdton 2-1926
Portable
Hat and Coat Racks
These multi-purpose wardrobe racks go
wherever needed or store away like folding
chairs when not in use. They come in 3 ft.
or 4 ft. lengths, have two hat shelves and
1 or 2 full length hanger bars for coat
hangers or coat hooks. (Two sided hooks
snap over and straddle the bar, see detail).
Standard units come on glides or casters;
stand rigidly under a full load. CHECKER-
ETTES are also available in two sided units
(double capacity) : add-on units for making
long continuous racks, and matching wall
mount units.
Write for Catalog. CT-515
VOGEL-PETERSON CO,
Rt. 83 and Madison Streets, Elmhurst, III.
APRIL 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
185
ident of the Idaho State Recreation
Society in 1957-58.
MISSOURI. The big recreation news
in St. Louis these days is the fact that
the St. Louis Board of Education has
accepted a proposal of the city's depart-
ment of parks, recreation, and forestry
to operate fifty-two summer play-
grounds on school facilities. These will
be in addition to the forty-five park
playgrounds already operated by the
city. The recreation department will
supply personnel, supplies, and admin-
istration.
NEW JERSEY. Retired National Rec-
reation Association district representa-
tive J. W. Faust of
East Orange has
been reappointed
to a five-year term
as a member of the
local board of rec-
reation commis-
sioners. "J. W." may be retired, but is
certainly not inactive!
INDIANA. Three hundred and fifty-six
park and recreation administrators and
technicians from twenty-one states and
four Canadian provinces participated
in the fourteenth annual Great Lakes
Park Training Institute, held at Poka-
gon State Park in Angola. Sixty-five
people cooperated on the program. The
institute is conducted by the Indiana
University department of recreation,
with the state conservation departments
and state park and recreation associa-
tions and their respective Midwest and
national associations as cosponsors.
In-Service Training
Eleven representatives from the
Michigan cities of Ann Arbor, Ply-
mouth, and Ypsilanti, the village of
Wayne, and the Wayne County Train-
ing School recently completed a corre-
spondence course in municipal recrea-
tion administration offered by the In-
ternational City Managers Association.
This is a part of the intercommunity
in-service training program established
by top government administrators from
several communities in southeastern
Michigan. The course in recreation ad-
ministration is only one of many such
correspondence courses in administra-
tion offered by ICMA. The purpose of
these courses is to train career em-
ployees, promote high standards of pro-
fessionalization, and, ultimately, to pro-
vide better public service.
Focus on Youth
The Youth Bureau and Recreation
Commission in Corning, New York, up-
holds "The Children's Bill of Rights"
and the "Children's Bill of Responsi-
bilities" and has printed them on the
back of its attractive letterhead (done
in sepia ink) . Thus, director Caesar R.
George and his staff circulate this phil-
osophy with each letter they write.
In Oceanside, New York, last year
fifty-four boys and girls, from sixteen
to eighteen years old, assembled in the
Little Theatre to take a written exami-
nation for the position of junior play-
ground leader. The test took an hour
and twenty minutes. It was in four
parts: twenty multiple-choice ques-
tions, two essay questions involving
judgment, a diagram on which a listing
of playground facilities had to be lo-
cated, and a special posterboard on
which each had to prepare a layout ad-
vertising a playground circus. Maxi-
mum score on first section was sixty,
second section twenty, and third and
fourth sections counted ten each.
Of the fifty-four youngsters taking
the exam, two scored in the nineties,
twenty in the eighties, and thirty-two
in the seventies. Seven junior play-
ground leaders were chosen, their se-
lection depending upon the test score,
an interview, and past experience.
These seven were paid thirty dollars a
week for six five-day, thirty -hour weeks.
All those not chosen were invited to
serve as "apprentices" volunteers.
The junior-leader plan worked with
great success in most instances, and rec-
reation director Joe Harper plans to re-
peat the project this year.
SOS
In an urgent now-or-never message
to the state legislature, New York's
Governor Nelson Rockefeller requested
a $75.000,000 bond issue for the im-
mediate acquisition of park and rec-
reation land. A survey by the state
conservation department and State
Council of Parks shows a desperate lack
of "almost every kind of public outdoor
facility." The bond issue, if authorized
by the legislature, will be submitted to
the voters in the general election next
November. The governor stressed that
the situation requires "action now or
the loss forever of the opportunity to
meet the recreation needs of the state
economically."
EXTRA !
As we go to press, a special edition (February 29. 1960) of the
Vallejo Times Herald reaches us, announcing in banner headlines
that the distinguished award of "All America City for 1959" has just
been presented to that California city along with ten others.* Val-
lejo's award cites its drive for annexation and unification which led
to vigorous civic improvement. One entire fourteen-page section of
this thick edition (almost as fat as Sunday's New York Times) appears
under a red, two-inch head, "Vallejo, a City for Leisure." and carries
a full, laudatory report of the activities and achievements of the
Greater Vallejo Recreation District, of which our good friend, Keith
Macdonald. is the executive director. According to all accounts, liis
department projects are booming, its accomplishment and growth are
outstanding, and community participation is thriving. Congratula-
tions, and well done, Keith: the recreation profession may well !><
proud of you!
Alton and East St. Louis, Illinois; DC Soto, Missouri: Fargo, North DaUi;i:
Lamar, Colorado; Norfolk, Virginia; San Juan. Puerto Rico; Santa Fe Springs,
California; Metropolitan Seattle, Washington; and Winston-Salem, North Caro-
lina.
186
Hi < 10 \TIO\
RECREATION For The
III and Handicapped
The staff of the National Recreation
Association Consulting Service on Rec-
reation for the 111 and Handicapped has
been on the road a great deal of late.
Perhaps you have been meeting some
of them. Elliott Cohen spent the past
month in California in consultation
with various community agencies, such
as the Braille Institute of America and
the Crippled Children's Society. He
also spent some time at San Jose State
College helping with the development
of a graduate program in recreation for
the ill and handicapped, spoke at the
NRA Pacific Southwest Recreation
Conference. Doris Berryman visited
Charlottesville, Virginia, to work with
the Virginia Commission on the Visu-
ally Handicapped, as part of the Con-
sulting Service's sheltered workshop
project. She also pitched in at the
NRA Great Lakes District Conference
in St. Paul. Frances Arje took off for
Muskegon, Michigan, and then to Min-
neapolis, to gather information about
sheltered workshops in those communi-
ties. Morton Thompson will head for
Massachusetts to conduct a workshop
on games at Westborough State Hospi-
tal there. He will also conduct an insti-
tute on recreation for the aging in
Toledo, Ohio. Alice Burkhardt recently
conducted an institute for persons
working with the blind in Albany, New
York. I, myself, have been in Pennsyl-
vania developing services for the aged
in nursing homes and am about to take
part in the White House Conference on
Children and Youth in Washington.
f 1 In February the Consulting Service
held a very successful meeting with
representatives of the National Associa-
tion of Recreation Therapists, Recrea-
tion Therapy Section of the American
Association for Health, Physical Edu-
cation, and Recreation, and the Hospi-
tal Section of the American Recreation
Society. Among the fundamental ques-
tions discussed were a basic philosophy
of recreation for the ill and handi-
capped and the best academic prepara-
tion for persons entering this field. A
report of the conclusions of these dis-
cussions has been sent to the executive
MRS. HILL is director, National Recre-
ation Association Consulting Service on
Recreation for the 111 and Handicapped.
Beatrice H. Hill
committee of each of the organizations
for final approval, and a condensed ver-
sion of the statements as finally ap-
proved, will be available to anyone
requesting it. A number of informal
discussions also concerned possible
amalgamation of the three organiza-
tions. Obviously, everyone will have to
give a little, and it is hoped the execu-
tive committees will have developed a
workable plan by spring.
In August the Consulting Service
will conduct a demonstration at the
Eighth World Congress of the Interna-
tional Society for the Welfare of Crip-
ples at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria in
New York. This is the first time this
international congress has been held in
the United States, and the Consulting
Service hopes, through a variety of
demonstrations using patients, that
many of our friends from other nations
will see what recreation can do for the
ill and handicapped.
*r" A new Consulting Service project
concerns adult narcotic addicts. Work-
ing in a general hospital, CS is ex-
ploring recreation's role both in the
hospital and in the after-care program.
Using the experimental and control
method, it will provide recreation serv-
ice to a selected number of discharged
patients, and evaluate the behavioral
differences between these patients and
discharged patients not receiving rec-
reation follow-up service.
Hh Are you affiliated for service?
NRA's Consulting Service is making an
all-out effort to educate the professional
and the layman to the value of recrea-
tion for the ill and handicapped. One
of our new services for affiliates, in ad-
dition to their monthly copy of RECREA-
TION Magazine, will be a quarterly
newsletter concerning recreation in the
medical setting (in addition to many
other services). To be more effective
in education, program, and legislation,
the Service needs everyone to be affili-
ated for service. Are you?
r" Don't forget the recruitment contest
(see March issue). Contestants ac-
cepted NOW. Prizes will be awarded
January 1961. Please send in your
names. #
TENNIS FOR TEACHERS
Enlarged Ell.. 1959 Printing $5.OO
The authoritative text in use in to countries.
This book gives stroke mechanics and
strategy; teaching methods for handling
large groups of pupils on one court. In-
cluded are 90 action photos and diagrams;
Official Tennis Rules, graphic wall chart
with 18 sketches.
TENNIS SELF-INSTRUCTOR
I handbook lor players, 1O9 pp S2.OO
PLAYERS WHO WANT TO IMPROVE
This self instruction handbook gives
simple directions for learning the nine
tennis strokes and improving your court
strategy in both singles and doubles. 43
action photos and illustrations that show
how champions play their shots.
H. I. DRIVER CO.
803 Moygara Rd. Madison 4, Wis.
BASKETBALL
STEEL CHAIN
NETS
3 Years Guarantee!
outdoors or indoors
featuring Jayfra's custom Imllt
XNYLON BASKETBALL NETS & BALL CARRIERS
^ALUMINUM MULTI-PURPOSE STANDARDS
XTETHERBALL POLES & PADDLE SETS
XWATER BASKETBALL STANDARDS
^ALUMINUM BATTING TEES
Send for Free Catalog
JAYFRO ATHLETIC SUPPLY CO.
Dept. R, Box 1065, NEW LONDON, CONN.
tw^*^^
FoLDKixc
DIHICT PUKi
DISCOUNTS I TSRMS ^ alj-new HOLD-KING Banquet Tables,
with exclusive new automatic folding and
locking, super strencth, easy seating. 6S nxlcK and si/cs.
BIG NEW 1960 CATALOG FREE
Color piviures lull line l.iMcs, chairs, table and chair trucks, plat-
form-risers. ixm.tMc partitions, hnllclin boards. Our 52iid vciir.
THE MONROE CO., 181 Church St., Colfax, Iowa
Recreation leaders from Boston to
Los Angeles use this means of solv-
ing many playground problems.
THE MORALE BUILDER
Ten Minutes of Special Coaching Can Pro-
duce a Kalah Enthusiast.
SEND FOR LEAFLET No. 12. Show, how one in-
spired player can develop volunteer helpers who
will start a wave of sustained interest that may
spread over a city.
KALAH BOARD
H
Simple Kalah rules reprinted
from UNICEF Recreation Man-
ual supplied with each order.
KALAH GAME CO.
131 State St., Boston, Masi.
APRIL 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
187
MARKET
NEWS
For further information regarding,
any of these products, write directly
to the manufacturer. Please mention
that you saw it in RECREATION.
Jean Wachtel
Designed for children aged
two to ten, Saddle-Mates are
made of tough fiberglass, col-
orfully finished with a special
epoxy resin coating, which
practically guarantees long
wear and weather resistance.
The equipment is mounted on
sturdy steel springs with steel
mounting plates. Models are
available with either portable,
no-tip bases, or without base
for permanent installation in
cement. Springs are specially
designed to provide a pleasant rocking motion yet won't
pinch curious small fingers. Children can rock happily ^on
Saddle-Mates, which come as horses, donkeys, camels,
swans, or ducks, and in various colors. For descriptive lit-
erature in full color and detailed specifications, write Game-
time, Inc., Litchfield, Michigan.
Two functional pieces of equip-
ment for teaching novice players
proper batting techniques are the
Jayfro aluminum Batting Tee and
the "Skill Trainer" Game Target.
The tee, permanently attached at
the base to an official-size rubber
home plate, is adjustable from 25"
to 42". The unit comes equipped
with a rubber-covered official base-
ball, securely fastened to 20 feet of
nylon cord, connected to a spring
and stake. The latter is driven into
the ground between the batter's feet and the ball returns to
the batter regardless of how hard it is hit. The target is
made of extra heavy-gauge vinyl and measures 6' by 4^2 '
Both of these devices are excellent for baseball batting prac-
tice in playgrounds as well as practice on the diamond it-
self. Write for further information to Jayfro Athletic Supply
Company, P. 0. Box 1065, New London, Connecticut.
Visually handicapped children can safely join in the fun
of bicycle riding, thanks to the new T-P Bicycle assembly.
188
This unit was developed by Dr. Frank E. Dudley, president
of the Franklin Manufacturing Company, and will be made
by that company. Adaptable for one to eighteen bicycles,
the assembly consists of a hexagonal aluminum framework
which rotates around a center post. Aluminum rods fast-
ened to the front and rear of the bicycles keep them erect
with no danger of tipping or falling. A telescoping feature
permits adjustment of the riding area to different size cir-
cles. For complete details, write the company at 12 Center
Street, Westmont, New Jersey.
Camps and large
outdoor recreation
areas often com-
prise extent i\
stretches of land,
difficult to get
around on in the
standard automo-
bile. With these re-
quirements in
mind, the Crofton
Marine Engine
Company has de-
veloped a small utility vehicle of functional design, called
the "Bug," with the general appearance of a half-size war-
time Jeep. Its specifications are: weight, 1100 pounds; car-
ries a quarter-ton payload; overall length. Ill"; wheelbase,
63"; 40" tread and 48" overall width. It is powered by a
35-hp overhead cam, liquid-cooled. 4-cylinder gasoline en-
gine, which drives in the conventional manner through a
three-speed transmission. Optional equipment includes a
Powr-Lok differential and dual rear wheels to provide trac-
tion in sand, on rough trails, and in wet grass. For complete
details, write the company at 888 Gull Street, San Diego 1,
California.
Since an ever-increasing number of recreation agencies
and departments are directly or indirectly involved wilh
camping, they are in a position to recommend various kinds
of equipment to the individual camper or camping group.
Or, often, the recreation agency rents it out. The following
necessary item could be used for either function. The 925
Sievert stove is easy to refill, ignites instantly, has an ad-
justable flame, is completely windproof, burns approxi-
mately fifty-five hours on one filling of propane gas long
enough to last four weeks with reasonable use. Compact
and easy to carry, it can be converted to a lantern with an
80-watt capacity. Swedish made, the stove complies with
the standards of the Swedish Kxplosives Inspectorate and
the Swedish Workman's Safety Board. The same romp:in\
also makes a two-burner, propane stove, as well as stoves
and lanterns for kerosene, alcohol, and gasoline. For all do-
tails, write the United States distributor Rexo-Therm, Inc..
986 Ogden Avenue, Naperville. Illinois.
RECREATION
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Page
American Playground Device 183
Castello Fencing Equipment 152
Chicago Roller Skates Back Cover
Cleveland Crafts . 148
Cosom Industries _ . 145
Dayton Steel Racquets _ 150
Delmer F. Harris _ . 189
Dimco-Gray . 150
Emblem & Badge _ 180
Exposition Press 189
F. H. Noble . 182
FLXIBLE.. 180
Gold Medal Products _ 148
Gymnastic Supply _ 189
Harper & Brothers ... 182
H. I. Driver 187
Hillerich & Bradsby _ Inside Front Cover
James Spencer 189
Jayfro Athletic Supply 187
J. E. Burke _ 149
Kalah Games ... . 187
Kelley Paint .185
Monroe 187
National Sports .185
National Studios . 185
Program Aids .151
Recreation Equipment 146
Rheem Califone . _ 151
Skelley Sales .. 151
Superior Industries .183
T. F. Twardzik . 146
Vogel-Peterson . 185
Voit 152
Wenger Music Equipment 151
CATALOG
GYM APPARATUS
GYMNASTIC UNIFORMS COILING DOORS
GRANDSTANDS PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT
FOLDING BLEACHERS BASKETBALL BACKSTOPS
REBOUND TUMBLING UNITS SCOREBOARDS
WEIGHTLIFTING EQUIPMENT- LOCKERS
GYMNASTIC SUPPLY COMPANY
250 Sixth Street San Pedro, California
SWEDISH GYM"
the PLAYMATE line
PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT
The DELMER F. HARRIS Co.
Concordia, Kansas
Write for Brochure
Free to WRITERS
seeking a book publisher
Two fact-filled, illustrated brochures tell how
1 to publish your book, get 40% royalties, na-
tional advertising, publicity and proirotion.
Free editorial appraisal. Write Dept. RM-4
Exposition Press / 386 4th Ave., NY. 16
New, improved Golden Age Club Pin.
Now in real gold plate with tree in
green jewelers' enamel. Safety catch.
50c each, including federal tax and
postage.
Minimum order 10 pins
Available only to authentic clubs.
JAMES SPENCER & CO.
EXACT SIZE 22 N. 6th Street Philadelphia 6, Pa.
Change of Address
If you are planning to move, notify us
at least thirty days before the date of
the issue with which it is to take effect,
if possible, in order to receive your
magazines without interruption. Send
both your old and new addresses by let-
ter, card or post office form 22S to:
Subscription Department RECREATION
Magazine, 8 West Eighth Street, New
York 11, N. Y.
IMPORTANT!
We are happy to give reprint
permission wherever possible, but
please check with us before using
any material in RECREATION. On
some rare occasions, we do not
hold copyright! The Editors
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
DEADLINES: Copy must be received by
the fifth of the month preceding date ol
the issue in which ad is desired.
RATES: Words in regular type $.15 each
Words in boldface type $.25 each
Minimum ad accepted $3.00
COPY: Type or clearly print your message and the address to which you wish
replies sent. Underline any words you want to appear in boldface type.
Send copy with remittance to:
RECREATION Classified Advertising, 8 West Eighth Street, New York 11, New York.
HELP WANTED
Recreation Therapists
for California State Hospi-
tals. Opportunity to plan
and conduct individual pa-
tient recreation as well as
special group activities;
modern equipment and fa-
cilities available. Positions
open to college graduates
with major in recreation or
recreation therapy, which
included supervised field
work. No experience re-
quired. Starting salary
S415.00 per month; promo-
tional opportunities; liber-
al employment benefits.
Write State Personnel
"nard, 801 Capitol Avenue,
Sacramento, California.
Recreation Worker I, in
hospital -school for severely
handicapped educable chil-
dren ages 5-21 years. Col-
lege graduate, major in
group work or recreation
preferred. Write Illinois
Children's Hospital-School,
2551 North Clark Street,
Chicago 14, Illinois.
Park Naturalist: $370-
$465. We want a man un-
der 55 who has had two
years' experience in con-
ducting recreational pro-
grams or courses involving
nature study. Must have
graduated from a recog-
nized college or university
with major work in natural
science or have an equiva-
lent combination of experi-
ence and training. Apply
to: Personnel Director, 105
City Hall, Omaha 2, Ne-
braska.
SERVICES
AVAILABLE
Square Dance Caller, col-
lege, club, or convention.
Piute Pete, 55 West Eighth
Street, New York 11, New
York.
POSITION WANTED
General counseling position
in summer camp. College
senior. Previous experience
in college counseling. Can
teach baseball, basketball,
track. Box 792, College.
Grinnell, Iowa.
The publisher assumes no responsibility for services or items advertised here.
APRIL 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
189
Magazine Articles
AMERICAN FORESTS, February 1960
Operation Wildlife, Daniel A. Poole.
Mending a Mountain, Robert C. Blair.
A Second Look at Multiple Use, Howard
Stagner.
Conserving and Using our Open Spaces.
ARTS AND ACTIVITIES, March 1960
Special Ceramics Issue
MENTAL HOSPITALS, February 1960
The Geriatric Patient Psychiatric and So-
cial Problems.
PARK MAINTENANCE, February 1960
Outstanding Park Is Gift to Boise, Gordon
S. Bowen.
Fireman's Slide Delights Cedar Rapids
Children, Nancy Gibbons Zook.
SENIOR CITIZEN, March 1960
Automation in America, Tom Meyer.
Second Childhood, W. W. Bauer, M.D.
WOMAN'S DAY, March 1960
Children's Play Furniture.
Books & Pamphlets
Received
Adolescence, Teen-Agers
ADOLESCENCE AND DISCIPLINE, Rudolph M.
Wittenberg. Association Press, 291 Broad-
way, New York 7. Pp. 318. $4.95.
ABOLESCENCE TO MATURITY, V. C. Chamber-
lain. Penguin Books, 3300 Clipper Mill
Rd., Baltimore 11. Pp. 94. $.65.
LET'S FACE IT (Guide to Good Grooming for
Negro Girls), Elsie Archer. J. B. Lippin-
cott, E. Washington Sq., Philadelphia. Pp.
186. $2.95.
MCCALL'S GUIDE TO TEEN-ACE BEAUTY &
GLAMOUR, Betsy Keiffer. Prentice-Hall,
Englewood Cliffs, N. J. Pp. 161. $3.95.
PREMARITAL DATING BEHAVIOR, Winston Ehr-
mann, Ph.D. Henry Holt, 383 Madison Ave.,
New York 17. Pp. 316. $6.00.
PSYCHOLOGY OF ADOLESCENCE (5th ed.), Lu-
ella Colle. Rinehart, 232 Madison Ave.,
New York 16. Pp. 731. $7.00.
SHE-MANNERS, Robert H. Loeb, Jr. Associa-
tion Press, 291 Broadway, New York 7. Pp.
188. $3.50.
YOUTH IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS. Committee
on Youth Services, National Social Welfare
Assembly, 345 E. 46th St., New York 17.
Pp. 15. $.25.
Areas and Facilities
BOOK OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN, THE, H. Stuart
Ortloff and Henry B. Raymore. M. Barrows,
425 Park Ave. S., New York 16. Pp. 316.
$3.95.
How TO PLAN MODERN HOME GROUNDS,
Henry B. Aul. Sheridan House, 257 Park
Ave. S., New York 10. Pp. 312. $4.00.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN (rev. ed.), Henry V. Hub-
bard and Theodore Kimball. Hubbard Edu-
cational Trust, 9 Park St., Boston 8. Pp.
419. $7.50 ($5.00 to students).
MAINTENANCE MEN LOOK AT HOUSING DE-
SIGN (3rd ed.). Natl. Assoc. of Housing &
Redevelopment Officials, 1313 E. 60th St.,
Chicago 37. Pp. 40. Paper, $2.50.
SPORTS AND RECREATION FACILITIES: For
School and Community, M. Alexander Gab-
riel sen and Caswell M. Miles. Prentice-
Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N. J. Pp. 370. $9.00.
SWIMMING POOLS. Lane Publishing, Menlo
Park, Calif. Pp. 112. Paper, $1.95 (library
ed. $3.50).
Books for Children and Young People
ALASKA, Bernadine Bailey. Albert Whitman,
560 W. Lake, Chicago 6. Unpaged. $1.25.
BABY DRAGON, THE, Witold T. Mars. Hough-
ton Mifflin, 2 Park St., Boston 7. Pp. 30.
$2.75.
BARNEY, BRING YOUR BANJO, May Justus.
Henry Holt, 383 Madison Ave., New York
17. Pp. 61. $2.50.
BLUE CHIMNEY, Gladys Baker Pond. Holiday
House, 8 W. 13th St., New York 11. Pp.
164. $2.75.
EMPEROH AND THE NIGHTINGALE, THE, Hans
Christian Andersen. Pantheon Books, 333
6th Ave., New York 14. Unpaged. $2.95.
Eo OF THE CAVES, Florence Wightman Row-
land. Henry Z. Walck, 101 5th Ave., New
York 10. Pp. 160. $3.00.
FAVORITE FAIRY TALES TOLD IN FRANCE;
TOLD IN GERMANY; TOLD IN ENGLAND; all
retold by Virginia Haviland. Little, Brown,
34 Beacon St., Boston 6. $2.75 each.
FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD, Helen Doss.
Abingdon Press, 201 8th Ave. S., Nashville,
Tenn. Unpaged. $1.50.
GIUI. IN THE WHITE II \T. W. T. Ciimmings.
McGraw-Hill, 330 W. 42nd St., New York
36. Pp. 32. $2.25.
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY BOOK OF SCOUTING,
THE, R. D. Bezucha. Golden Press, 630 5th
Ave., New York 20. Pp. 165. $4.95.
GOOD MANNERS: The Magic Key, Margaret
Stephenson and Ruth Millett. McKnight
and McKnight, Route 66 & Tonawanda
Ave., Bloomington. 111. Pp. 72. Paper, $.80.
HANS ANDERSEN: Forty-Two Stories, trans-
lated by M. R. James. A. S. Barnes, 11 E.
35th St., New York 16. Pp. 346. $3.95.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY UMBRELLA, THE. David Cor-
nel Dejong. Atlantic-Little, Brown, 34 Bea-
con St., Boston 6. Pp. 50. $2.75.
How Tin: MANX (!\T LOST ITS TAIL, retold
by Blanche Young. David McKay, 119 W.
40th St., New York 18. Pp. 114. $2.75.
ISAAC NEWTON, Beulah Tannenbaum and
Myra Stillman. McGraw-Hill, 330 W. 42nd
Si.. New York 36. Pp. 128. $2.00.
JAPANESE GARDEN, THE. Molly Brrit. Fred-
erick Warne, 210 5th Ave., New York 10.
Pp. 44. $2.50.
LAUGHING BIRD, THE, Anita Hewett. Sterling
Publishing, 419 4lh Ave., New York. Pp.
32. $2.50.
LEARNING TO COOK THE GIRL WAY, Joy Law.
Sporl shelf. Box 634, New Rochelle, N. Y.
Pp. 63. Paper, $1.75.
LITTLE HEDGEHOG, Gina Ruck-Pauquet and
Marianne Richter. Hastings House, 151 E.
50th St., New York 22. Unpaged, $2.75.
LOST BEAR, Ann Durell. Doubleday, Garden
City, N. Y. Pp. 47. $2.95.
MAGIC NIGHT FOR LILI.IHET, Gerry Turner.
Bobbs-Merrill, 1720 E. 38th St.! Indiana-
polis 6. Pp, 48. $2.95.
MORE ANIMALS FROM Evnti \\HUIK. Clifford
Webb. Frederick Warne, 210 5th Ave.. Nr
York 10. Unpaged. $2.75.
PUPTENTS AND PEBBLES. William Jay Smith.
Little, Brown, 34 Beacon St., Boston 6. Pp.
32. $2.75.
SKY Is OUR WINDOW, THE, Terry Maloney.
Sterling Publishing, 419 4th Ave., New
York 16. Pp. 128. $3.95.
THREE HAPPY LIONS, THE, Louise Fatio. Mc-
Graw-Hill, 330 W. 42nd St., New York 36.
Pp. 32. $2.25.
WE ARE ALL AMERICANS, Bettye D. Wilson.
Friendly House, 65 Suffolk St., New York
2. Unpaged. $2.50.
WORLD OF WONDERFUL DIFFERENCE, THE,
Hans Guggenheim. Friendly House, 65 Suf-
folk St., New York 2. Unpaged. $2.50.
Zoo CELEBRITIES, William Bridge?. William
Morrow, 425 4th Ave., New York. Pp. 127.
$2.95.
Communities
COMMUNITY, Carl J. Friedrich. Liberal Arts
Press, 153 W. 72nd St., New York 23. Pp.
293. $5.00.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION 1959, (86th An-
nual Forum of National Conference on So-
cial Welfare) . Columbia Univ. Press, 2960
Broadway, New York 27. Pp. 133. $2.50.
INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY RECREATION
(3rd ed.), George Butler. McGraw-Hill,
330 W. 42nd St., New York 36. Pp. 577.
$7.50.
URBAN COMMUNITY, THE: A World Perspec-
tive, Nels Anderson. Henry Holt, 383 Mad-
ison Ave., New York 17. Pp. 500. $5.50.
Sports, Physical Education
HISTORY OF BASEBALL, THE, Allison Danzig &
Joe Reichler. Prentice-Hall, Englewood
Cliffs, N. J. Pp. 412. $12.50.
MODERN BAIT AND SPIN CASTING, Walter R.
Breard. Comet Press, 200 Varick Si.. New
York 14. Pp. 207. $3.75.
NEW LIGHT ON GETTING EXTRA MILEAGE FROM
'I. UK TI.NM^ COI-RTS. U.S. Lawn Tennis
Association, 120 Broadway, New York 5.
Pp. 4. Free.
NEW SMALL BOAT SAILING, THE, John Fislirr.
John de Graff, 31 E. 10th St.. Nrw York 3.
Pp. 176. $4.00.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN URBAN ELF. MI M u;\
SCHOOLS, Elsa Schneider, U.S. t..>\. iiiim-iit
Printing Office, Washington 25, D.C. Pp.
91. $.45.
PROBLEMS IN SMALL BOAT DESIGN, Gerald
Taylor White, Editor. Sheridan Hon-
4th Ave.. New York 10. Pp. 246. $6.00.
SMIIM. Hovi 1 -. Uffa Fox, St. Martin's Prr--.
175 5th Ave.. New York 10. Pp. 204. $4.50.
M'OHTS Il.MsTHATED BOOK OF THE OUTDOOKs.
John O'Reilly. Golden Press, 630 5th Av.-..
\, w York 20. Pp. 322. $12.50.
STOIITSMAN'S WORLD, THE. Henry Holt. 383
Madison Ave., New York 17. Pp. 272.
$1250.
SPORTS OF THE TIMES, Arthur Daley. Dullon.
300 4th Ave., New York 10. Pp. 270. $3.95.
SPRINGBOARD DIVING, Phil Moriarty. Ronald
Press, 15 E. 26th St., New York 10. Pp.
146. $4.00.
M \NDARD HANDBOOK OF PI.EASI UK. HOM-.
Robert J. Shekter. Crowell. 432 llli W..
New York 16. Pp. 341. $5.95.
I MM KW \TEH WORK, John E. Cayford. Cor-
nell Maritime Press, Cambridge, Md. Pp.
217. $5.00.
WINNING BASKETBALL STRATEGY, Glenn Wil-
kes. IVniirr-Hall. F.nglrwood ClitK N. .1.
Pp. 203. $4.95.
190
RECREATION
PUBLICATIONS
Covering the Leisure-time Field
They Talked to a Stranger, Len
O'Connor. St Martin's Press, 175 Fifth
Avenue, New York 10. Pp. 276. $3.95.
"What makes a boy bad? What turns
a seemingly proper girl in her mid-teens
into a neighborhood slut?" After all
that is being said and done about ju-
venile delinquency perhaps the "inside
story" of the delinquent and the forces
creating him will emerge not from the
clinical case histories of social workers,
psychiatrists, or criminologists but
from the unsparing reports of seasoned
newspaper reporters without any olo-
gyisms or doctrinal axes to grind. Such
was The Shook-Up Generation by Har-
rison Salisbury of The New York Times
(Harper's, $3.95), and now They
Talked to a Stranger by a veteran Chi-
cago reporter and NBC newscaster.
Both men have received many awards
for public service. Among them, two
Sigma Delta Chi awards and a citation
from the National Parole and Proba-
tion Association have gone to Mr.
O'Connor and a 1955 Pulitzer Prize to
Mr. Salisbury (for his series on Russia,
later appearing in book form as Amer-
ican in Russia.)
In Shook-Up Generation, Mr. Salis-
bury dealt with rumbling street gangs,
the rootless boys and girls turning de-
linquent, and how they got that way. He
went into their backgrounds, gang pat-
terns, and the function of the street
worker, the family, church, and school
in relation to helping them. He wrote
"Side by side and working in closest
amity and collaboration with the police
in metropolitan areas, most communi-
ties need an agency like the Youth
Board in New York, handling spot ac-
tivity with youngsters on the street."
(The story of what the recreation de-
partment in Washington, D.C., is doing
along these lines with "detached work-
ers" is described on Page 162. See also
Page 158.)
Mr. O'Connor, on the other hand
gives us tape-recorded interviews with
young offenders involved in serious
crimes.
In his perceptive introduction. Sena-
tor Paul H. Douglas says, "The homes
in which (these) youngsters live were
tawdry and unkempt. Churches and re-
APRIL 1960
ligion apparently did not enter into
their lives, and clubs for boys and girls
were not for them. They had little
chance for wholesome play. There were
no books in their homes. They seldom,
if ever, were able to relax in the quiet
of nature and to appreciate the mys-
teries and beauties of the skies and of
growing and living things. They had
only the streets drab and unclean
on which to play, and only youngsters
as wild and uncared for as themselves
with whom to associate. Most of all, they
inevitably felt lonely, unloved, and re-
jected by their families, their neighbor-
hoods, and society. This was still fur-
ther intensified for the Negro boys and
girls by the racial antagonism shown
toward them by most of the white com-
munity. It is the same with the Mexi-
can-American and Indian youth of the
Southwest and with the Puerto Ricans
in New York."
Throughout the O'Connor interviews
one theme emerges from the limited,
pathetic, unchanneled soul-searching of
the young criminal a feeling of root-
lessness, a desire for direction. Again
and again, the delinquent yearns for
the programed security of military serv-
ice from which he is barred by reasons
of age or record.
Quoting one of the boys, "It's when
they are fourteen and fifteen years old
that thoughts of really doing something
bad come into their minds. They are
out of the Little League and too young
for somethin' else and, hell, there just
ain't any place for them to go. That's
where you got your trouble." They have
no place to go and they get there fast.
A police captain says, "These boys
have a very real hunger for boys' clubs.
It is the only thing I know, the boys'
club, that will pull together the loose
ends of a delinquent's existence and
give him a pattern that he can follow
and something he can respect. And even
all this is only a partial answer to the
lacks and absences of good elements in
his home situation."
These books can help greatly in our
understanding of today's potential, as
well as actual, juvenile delinquent and
young criminal and should be in the
library of every youth leader no matter
what organization he serves. E.D.
A User-Resource Recreation Plan-
ning Method. National Advisory Coun-
cil on Regional Recreation Planning,
Hidden Valley, Loomis, California. Pp.
80. Paper, $2.00.
"The recreation planning method . . .
proposes a practical and comprehensive
means of estimating the present and
future recreation requirements of users
and the recreation potential of na-
tural and man-made sources." This
idea of relating what people want to the
availability of resources for satisfying
those wants and using the relationship
as a basis for planning the amount, lo-
cation, and design of recreation areas
seems a simple one. Yet, as applied in
this book, it is unique and constitutes
a landmark in planning for all recrea-
tion but especially for regional recrea-
tion. This book will be a classic and
should be read by all those interested in
providing for recreation in a national,
systematic way. Stanley B. Tankel,
Regional Plan Association, New York
City.
Local Planning Administration (3rd
ed.), Mary McLean, Editor. Interna-
tional City Managers' Association,
1313 East 60th Street, Chicago 37.
Pp. 467. $7.50.
This is one of a series of ten volumes
on municipal administration. A com-
prehensive and authoritative manual, it
has chapters by leading authorities in
planning and related fields, and was
edited by the director of research of
the American Society of Planning Offi-
cials. Because parks and other recrea-
tion areas are an important element in
the city plan, the administration of local
planning is of direct interest and con-
cern to recreation and park authorities.
The chapter on "Recreation and
Open Spaces," by Miriam Strong, se-
nior planner, New York City Planning
Commission, merits careful study by
RECREATION readers. Much of the chap-
ter is devoted to an excellent treatise
on the controversial subject of recrea-
tion space standards. It presents stand-
ards for a variety of area and facility
types, incorporating proposals devel-
oped by a number of agencies, and re-
views factors that influence the applica-
tion of standards in specific localities.
Miss Strong points out that for years
locally adopted standards have been
based generally on those developed by
the National Recreation Association.
She supports the widely held opinion
that an appraisal of these standards is
overdue in order to make sure that they
take into account the basic and variable
recreation needs and interests of people.
"Land Subdivision Regulation" is an-
other chapter of special interest since it
describes various procedures for ac-
191
quiring public sites in subdivisions,
with special reference to recreation
areas.
The selected bibliography affords a
guide to additional reference sources.
It is unfortunate, however, that plans
showing the distribution of recreation
areas in Paterson, New Jersey, and
Providence, Rhode Island, were includ-
ed, since the types of recreation areas
proposed in the reports from which they
were reproduced bear little resemblance
to those described by Miss Strong, and
the space standards recommended in
them are far below those recognized as
adequate. G.D.B.
Adventures With Scissors and Pnper,
Edith C. Becker. International Text-
book Company, Scranton 15, Pennsyl-
vania. Pp. 1 16, illustrated. $5.50.
Expensive? No, because it's worth
every cent and more a beautifully
printed and illustrated book, full of fas-
cinating adventures (and we don't use
that word lightly) , with simple, easy-to-
get material (paper of every sort, scis-
sors, paste, and crayons or paint if
wished).
This book could be the foundation
stone for a whole craft program for
your playground or center. Its projects
and examples are clear, original, in
good taste, and good humor. Many of
them are the wonderful kind that fairly
cry out to be used in correlation with
other activities, like drama, puppets,
and special events. (See Page 154.)
There are a sparkle and enthusiasm
here that lift it far above the usual pa-
percraft book, making it a really excit-
ing addition to recreation literature.
Here's investment that will pay rich
dividends in creative craft experiences.
Buy it and see for yourself! V.M.
The Art of Making Dances, Doris
Humphrey. Rinehart and Company,
232 Madison Avenue, New York 16.
Pp. 176. Illustrations and drawings.
$6.50.
As a performer, teacher, concert art-
ist, and choreographer, Doris Hum-
phrey has reached thousands of indi-
viduals who were associated with the
arts. Now, as an author, the rich and
vibrant leadership which was experi-
enced by her students and associates
becomes part of the heritage of the
American dance and is available to
every community. Through The Art of
Making Dances she gives to the people
of the world a philosophy of the Amer-
ican dance, and the means by which
this art form may be developed, stud-
ied, and appreciated.
From the opening page, she speaks
directly to the individual. The reader
192
is swept through the pages; the book
cannot be pushed aside. The first read-
ing is pure poetic motion, culminating
in the awareness that here is a great
book, that words have been found to
express the movement art of the dance.
Immediately, the reader reopens the
book, studies each chapter and the prac-
tical technical presentations for the de-
velopment of choreography. Here the
tools of the choreographer are concise-
ly, vividly explained. Chapter Two
deals with the craft and the discussion
of design and one is challenged by such
subjective material as "design," "sym-
metry and asymmetry," "stage space,"
"dynamics." If the suggestions are fol-
lowed, the American dance will have
an extremely bright future, for the old
repetitions and copying of techniques
will not be acceptable.
One could wax romantic about this
book. The style is superb and the know-
how expressed clearly. The methods
for the development of choreography
could only come from a person who has
lived long in the field; watched thou-
sands of bodies; struggled with the
practical problems of music, space, the-
ater, costumes; felt the tolerance and
intolerance of press, public, coworkers,
and performing artists. Only a gifted
observer could further strengthen the
explanation and suggestions written
into the text by placing assignments at
the end of each "tool"-unit. These in
themselves lend a sense of release and
individual integrity of thought and re-
sulting movement.
Fortunate, indeed, are we to have
this text available. Nowhere have those
who are interested in the dance been
able to secure, except in a very few
dance centers, the underlying practical
principles of choreography. Equally
important as the know-how is the en-
couragement to utilize the individual's
own style, the responsibility of each
person to be sincere and to respect the
technique of each dance form. Through
the insights offered each community
will share in the "art of making
dances." Dorothea M. Lenscli, direc-
tor of recreation, Portland, Oregon.
A Guide for Planning the School
and College Swimming Pool and Nata-
torium, William L. Terry. Bureau of
Publications, Teachers College, Colum-
bia University, New York 27. Pp. 73.
$2.50.
This study, prepared in partial ful-
fillment of requirements for a doctoral
degree, is a valuable addition to the
growing literature on the planning, con-
struction, equipment, and use of the
swimming pool. Although it contains
much information that is familiar, it
presents in a detailed, well-organized
manner valuable information with ref-
erence to the various problems covered.
It deals primarily with the indoor pool,
but much of the information will be of
value to those considering the construc-
tion of an outdoor facilitv. G.D.B.
Selected Paperbacks
For Boys' Club Program (Page 167).
BANTAM: The Bridge Over the River Ktvai,
Pierre Boulle; The Red Pony, John Stein-
beck; Drums Along the Mohawk, Walter D.
Edmonds; The Light in the Forest, Conrad
Richter; Who Rides with Wyatt, Will Henry;
Apache Land, Ross Santee; Five and Ten,
John K. Winkler; Folk Songs of the Carib-
bean, James Morse; Wild Animals I Have
Known, Ernest Thompson Seton: Cowhand:
The Story of a Working Cowboy, Fred Gipson.
DELL: David Copperfield, Charles Dickens:
Great Flying Stories, edited by Dr. Frank W.
Anderson, Jr.; The Long Rifle, Stewart E.
White; The World in Space, Alexander Mar-
shack; The Walt Disney Story of Our Friend
the Atom, Franz Haber; Common Wild Ani-
mals and Their Young, photographs. William
Vandivert, drawings, Carl Burger, text, Rita
Vandivert; The American Heritage Reader:
The Great Locomotive Chase, MacLennan
Roberts; A History of the United States, Wil-
liam Miller; Six Centuries of Great Poetry,
edited by Robert Penn Warren and Albert
Erskine.
FAWCETT: Best Quotations for All Occasions,
edited by Lewis C. Henry: The Miracle of
Language, Charlton Laird; The Insect World
of J. Henri Fabre, edited by Edwin Way
Teale; The Strange Story of Our Earth, A.
Hyatt Verrill; A Key to the Heavens, Leo Mat-
tersdorf ; How You Can Forecast the Weather,
Eric Sloane; Animal Wonder World. Frank
W. Lane: Crucibles: The Story of Chemistry,
Bernard Jaffee; The Practical H <i\ to a Better
Memory, Dr. Bruno Furst; How to Understand
Music, Oscar Thompson (revised by D. E.
Wheeler).
THE NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY: Indians of the
Americas, John Collier; Machines That Built
America, Roger Biirlingame: Gods, Heroes
and Men of Ancient Greece, W. H. D. ROHM':
The Oxbow Incident, Walter V. T. Clark;
Night Flight, Antoine de St. Exupery; Lives
of Destiny as Told for the Reader's Digest,
Donald Culross Peatlie: Christopher Colum-
bus, Mariner. Samuel Eliot Mori-cm: The
Green Hills of Earth. Robert A. Heinlein;
Satellites, Rockets and Outer Space, Willy
Ley; American Folk Tales and Songs. Richard
Chase.
POCKET BOOKS: Old Masters, edited by Her-
man Wechslcr; Kon-Tiki, Thor Heyerdahl;
Old Yeller, Fred Cip.-mi: The Red Badge of
Courage, Stephen Crane; A Stillness at Ap-
pumtittox. Bruce Catton; Pocket History of
the (I. S., Henry Sleele Commaiier: Profiles in
Courage, John Kennedy; The Doctors Mmo.
Helen Clapesattle; The Silent V orld. Jacques-
Yves Cousteau; My Farnritr Sport Stories,
Bill Stern.
RECREATION
Board Members Mayors City Man-
agers Recreation Supervisors Lead-
ers both paid and volunteer Mainte-
nance Supervisors Purchasing Agents
Libraries Local Guidance Coun-
selors
Put extra copies of this recreation tool
to work
I OR YOU
Make your local job easier for yourself
and your staff by making sure that
everyone has HIS OWN COPY OF RECRE-
ATION. Just use the handy coupon and
we'll be glad to bill you or your depart-
ment.
FORGET SOMETHING?
YOU HAVE - - if you don't have your own copy of
THE MAGAZINE OF THE RECREATION MOVEMENT
It will help you recruit greatly
needed leaders in your own field;
and learn what communities are do-
ing in recreation facilities, leader-
ship, and program activities. REC-
REATION will spark new interest and
NOW-- $4.00 one year
$7.25 two years
make everyone more receptive to
sound recreation thinking in solving
local problems. Enter a subscrip-
tion a legitimate budget charge
on the handy coupons below, before
our prices go up.
September 1, 1960: $5.00
$8.75
(Remember, a subscription is included in membership)
1
National Recreation Association, 8 West Eighth Street, New York 1 1 , N. Y.
Send r^CC1C.lt449t to
Name
Name
Department or Organization
Department or
Organization
Title
Title
Street Address
Street Address
City Zone State
City
Zone State
PLEASE ENTER Q SUBSCRIPTIONS
D I enclose $ (remittance or
purchase order)
Name
Department or Organization
Title
My Name
Street Address
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MORE PER SQUARE FEET
Get More Flexibility
IN YOUR GYM
Even the non-athlete will enjoy roller skating in
your gym. It's the one sport in which everyone
participates and has a barrel of fun. It is a great
Youth Fitness program because it teaches rhythm,
co-ordination and grace without the skater being
conscious of it. That, plus the fun is why more
schools, churches and recreation centers are mak-
ing roller skating an integral part of their pro-
grams. Write today for facts and details.
NEW DURYTE PLASTIC WHEELS
TO GYM FLOORS
New Duryte plastic wheels have a
long life and are guaranteed not to
mar or scratch gym floors. "Chi-
cago" has a skate designed for every
type of floor surface or finish. Write
today for free details an roller skat-
ing programs and skattng equipment.
4490-D West Lake Street, Chicago 24, Illinois
i .
-Oi-.-jia*"
/J
r' , > -* .
Henry Pfeiffer Library
Mac .iurra/ College
Jacksonville, illiaois
MAY 6 1960
NATIONAL RECREATION ASSOCIATION
MAY I960 5Oc
MACGREGOR
for good sports everywhere !
Whatever your in-season sports program, MacGregor athletic
equipment can help make it a popular success. Golf, tennis,
softball, baseball just about any sport comes off better when
MacGregor balls and equipment are used. Generations of ath-
letic-minded men and women, boys and girls, have looked to
MacGregor for the finest in all sports equipment. Give your
program a boost by providing the best . . . MacGregor for all
good sports. MacGregor equipment is available from sporting
goods dealers everywhere.
Lt^ A Brunswick
C^ SutattHiry
THE MACGREGOR CO., Cincinnati 32, Ohio BASEBALL FOOTBALL BASKETBALL GOLF TENNIS
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION,
WITH
at I i-f
MONDAY A. M.: A Califone PROMENADE
(Model 25V-8A) spins a record of essential rhythm.
It's Mrs. Stanley's dance class. Over the music
her voice comes in sharp and clear,
"1-2-3 turn. 1-2-3 turn: 1
MONDAY, still A.M.: Same Califone PROMENADE,
but now Mr. Evans uses it as a PA. system
instructing his tennis star on the backhand swing.
She has a good chance of winning the
district championship.
MONDAY PM.: Mrs. Ellis calls out the cadence
for calisthenics. It's a large and widespread group.
Again, loud and clear. No strain on her voice.
MONDAY, still PM.: Assembly-popular music helps
soothe excitable youngsters pouring into the
auditorium. Announcements; neophyte entertainers;
Mr. Stanley, the principal, gives a speech.
MONDAY NIGHT: Same Califone, now playing
music and "calling" to an adult square dance group.
TUESDAY A.M.: (In a note from the Principal to
the Board of Education) Please make provision in
our budget for an additional Califone
PROMENADE as well as a Califone COMMANDER
(40V-9). We have immediate need for these.
The COMMANDER will be particularly useful for
announcing games to forthcoming
basketball audiences.
Write for free catalog and prices
on all Califone models.
califone
CORPORATION
Dept. R-5
1020 No. La Brea Avenue
Hollywood 38, Calif.
Califone 'PROMENADE' Model 25V-8A
Professional user net-$199.50
MAY 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
193
if you
want to
provide
patrons
with the
most modern
and
convenient
checking
service . . .
and at the
same time
eliminate
checking
costs... write
or phone
THE FLXIBLE COMPANY
LOUDONVILLE 1, OHIO
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NATIONAL
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CATALOG
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GYMNASTIC UNIFORMS COILING DOORS
GRANDSTANDS PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT
FOLDING BLEACHERS BASKETBALL BACKSTOPS
REBOUND TUMBLING UNITS SCOREBOARDS
WEIGHTLIFTING EQUIPMENT LOCKERS
GYMNASTIC SUPPLY COMPANY
250 Sixth Street San Pedro. California
Should,
\ Two NEW ENGLAND TOWNS have at-
tracted the attention of national maga-
zines by means of their comprehensive
recreation programs. A recent issue of
The Ladies Home Journal carried an
article about the Bristol, New Hamp-
shire, recreation program, and the April
issue of Pageant carries "What Every-
body Does in Brookline (Massachu-
setts)," by Al Silverman. At the same
time, the April Playground Issue of
RECREATION included a story about the
creative program on Bristol's play-
ground, "Pirates in the Playground,"
by Beatrice McAuliffe Stone. The town
of Bristol will present a complimentary
copy of the latter magazine to Governor
Wesley Powell of New Hampshire in an
especially planned, formal ceremony.
> A NATIONAL COMMITTEE on the En-
croachment of Park and Recreation
Lands and Waters, composed of repre-
sentatives from the American Institute
of Park Executives. American Recrea-
tion Society, National Conference on
State Parks, and National Recreation
Association, has been appointed to make
a study of encroachment. Its purposes
are to: (1) determine the nature and
extent of encroachment: (2) determine
what is being done and what can be done
to meet this problem; (3) formulate
guiding principle? for meeting the prob-
lem: and (4) develop a program of
public information-education to alert
the nation.
As a means of gathering information
a questionnaire has been distributed by
the four cooperating organizations. Any
park or recreation agency that has not
received a copy and that has experi-
enced a successful or unsuccessful at-
tempt to divert its areas to nonconform-
ing uses is urged to write the National
Recreation Association, 8 West Eighth
Street, New York 11, for a copy.
)> TWO THOUSAND FORESTRY EXPERTS
from more than fifty nations will meet
for two weeks in Seattle. Washington,
starting August 29, for the Fifth World
Forestry Congress. This international
meeting of forestry authorities many
of whom are world-famous is the first
Congress for which the United States
has been host and the first ever held in
the Western hemisphere. The University
of Washington has made its dormito-
ries, auditoriums, press, radio. TV. and
other campus facilities available.
> A COURSE OF INSTRUCTION for OUt-
board mariners is available as a "pack-
age deal," telling how to set up a class
to be taught by marine dealers, boating
clubs, camp counselors and/ or other
leaders, to give information on seaman-
ship, fundamentals of motor installa-
tion, and so on. Write Boating Services
and Education Department, Outboard
Boating Club, 307 North Michigan Ave-
nue, Chicago, Illinois.
t THE APRIL 1960 ISSUE of The In-
structor carried an editorial on fitness
written by Virginia Musselman, director
of National Recreation Association Pro-
gram Service. This magazine reaches
some 600.000 elementary school teach-
ers. This issue also contained very in-
teresting and useful articles on physical
fitness. Look it up; it will be assigned
in your summer work.
^ A PUBLICATION, Research in Recrea-
tion Completed in 1959, has just been
issued by the National Recreation Asso-
ciation. It contains an annotated classi-
fied list of 267 study reports issued by
local, state, national organizations, and
educational institutions. Most numer-
ous are studies dealing with recreation
for special groups, community surveys,
land-and-water areas, activities and pro-
grams, and leadership and personnel.
This thirty-eight-page bulletin is avail-
able from the Association at one dollar.
K WlTH PERMISSION of the Conference
on National Cooperation in Aquatics
ihe National Recreation Association lias
reprinted the booklet The Outdoor
Swimming Pool A Study Report. The
first edition of this booklet was exhaust-
ed in 1959. but because of the continu-
ing demand the second printing has
been made. Highly commended by
aquatic authorities, it deals with such
pool problems as site, activities, slui|>es
and si/es. construction features, facili-
ties and equipment, operating factors
and finance. A special section deals
with camp pools. Copies are obtainable
from NRA at one dollar each.
^ HAVE YOU CALLED THE JANUARY ISSUE
of RECREATION to the attention of your
local church recreation groups? Many
churches need help with recreation
ideas, and RECREMION \\ill he carrying
more of them in the coming month*.
194
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECREATION
MAY 1960
THE MAGAZINE OF THE RECREATION MOVEMENT
Editor in Chief, JOSEPH PRENDERCAST
Editor, DOROTHY DONALDSON
ASSISTANT EDITORS
JEAN WACHTEL ELVIRA DELANY
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Administration, GEORGE BUTLER
Program, VIRGINIA MUSSELMAN
Business Manager, FRANK J. ROWE
Advertising Manager, ESTA GLUCK
VOL. LIII.
Price 50 Cents
No. 5
On the Cover
CHERRY BLOSSOMS around the tidal basin in
Washington, D. C., with Washington Monument in
the background.
Next Month
The June magazine, our last until September, is your
summer resources issue. Among its many features
you will find articles on tennis, on canoeing and
small boating, on family camping, and on square-
and round-dancing festivals. You will want to learn
how volunteers converted a weed patch into a park,
and you'll want to see our page of summer equip-
ment ideas. On the national level you will read
about the relation of recreation to the new National
Cultural Center, a spread on what to do and see in
Washington, D. C., come Congress time, a discussion
of the philosophy of the Democratic and Republican
parties concerning recreation, and a report on the
recreation use of national forests. Happy summer!
Photo Credits
Page 202, Sanborn Studio, Wilmington, Del.; 203,
Flint, Mich., Journal; 205, Hal Phyfe; 215, Arizona
Highways; 216, (center left) NYSPIX-Commerce;
217, (top right) Newark, N. J., News, (right center)
Official Tulip Time Photo, (bottom right) Hugh
Morton; 218, M/Sgt. Harry S. Brown, World-Wide
All Service Amateur Photography Contest, 1949;
223, Donald C. Blais, 1948 National High School
Photographic Awards; 226, The Optimist; 229, Fred
Behringer, Ambler, Penn., Gazette; 235, (Krestan)
Walter T. Cocker.
RECREATION is published monthly except July and
August by the National Recreation Association, a service
organization supported by voluntary contributions, at 8
West Eighth Street, New York 11, New York, is on
file in public libraries and is indexed in the Readers'
Guide. Subscriptions $4.00 a year. Canadian and for-
eign subscription rate $4.50. Re-entered as second-class
matter April 25, 1950, at the Post Office in New York,
New York, under Act of March 3, 1879- Acceptance
for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in
Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized May
1, 1924. Microfilms of current issues available Uni-
versity Microfilms, 313 N. First Street, Ann Arbor,
Michigan.
Copyright, 1960, by the
National Recreation Association, Incorporated
Printed in the U.S.A.
* Trade mark registered in U. S. Patent Office.
CONTENTS
GENERAL FEATURES
The Aging American and the Future
(Editorial) Daniel G. Grady 196
William Murray Hay 200
Our Washington Hosts 201
Retreading, Not Retiring 202
What's Different About Retirement? . . Dorothy C. Stratton 205
Saying It With Flowers Elvira Delany 215
ADMINISTRATION
Public Responsibility for Recreation 207
The Varied Faces of Recreation 208
City Parks. . .Amenity or Necessity? George Hjelte 212
State and Local Developments 226
Don Koontz of Whitemarsh Township 228
Research Reviews and Abstracts 230
PROGRAM
The Return of Softball Wayne Bly 206
Have You Tried ... A Block-Party Service? 211
Big Game Hunt EHioll M. Cohen 219
Drama Is Ageless Jean Wachtel 220
A Psychiatric Experiment Sally Pugh 222
Fact-Rising Slow-Pitch League Irtcin Danzig 224
REGULAR FEATURES
Things You Should Know 194
Letters 198
Resources and References 225
Obituaries 229
Listening and Viewing 232
Recreation for the 111 and Handicapped 233
Reporter's Notebook 234
Market News 236
Classified Advertising 237
Index of Advertisers 237
Books and Pamphlets Received, Magazine Articles 238
New Publications . 240
IDUCATIONAL
IRESS
iSOCIATION
OF
AMERICA
The or tide* herein printed are the expres-
sion of the writers and not a statement of
policy of the Notional Recreation Association.
MAY 1960
195
THE
AGING AMERICAN
AND
Editorial
THE FUTURE
Daniel G. Grady
IS THE recreation profession ready
and capable of meeting the leisure
needs and demands of the older citizen?
This is just one of the questions the
White House Conference on Aging, con-
vening in Washington, D. C., January
1961, will attempt to answer. The mem-
bers of that conference are currently
gathering with their respective governors' committees on
aging in over thirty-one states to prepare recommendations.
Every area of human endeavor and its relation to the older
person is being scrutinized and discussed in the hope that
sensible, worthy plans for future services to older Americans
will be formulated. Some of the professional recreation
people involved in the state conferences will be at the White
House Conference.
Fewer complexities challenge the minds of men than plan-
ning the aging American's future. Who is the aging Ameri-
can? He is that person somewhere in the United States who
has survived birth and is currently in possession of both
body and soul. As each individual moves from birth to
death, he experiences a continuing organic deterioration, to
which our tense culture, with all its components, contributes.
Despite evidence that nature is harder on us as we get older,
is it not also true that our culture can be even harder on the
older member of the community?
Americans subscribe to a theory of obsolescence regard-
ing older people which is most inhuman and unscientifically
sound. Our culture has contrived a practice of declaring
an employee of sixty or sixty-five to be occupationally ob-
solete, and arbitrarily enforces a social control which pro-
hibits that person from his work. This is a nearly universal
practice, despite scientific evidence indicating that not all
people over sixty or sixty-five are incapable of working.
The most prevalent single misconception in this area is
that on a person's sixty-fifth birthday, not the day before,
or the year before, or the day after, or the year after, but
on this one day, everyone in the United States is to be sub-
jected to specific attitudes, restrictions, and connotations.
I am convinced that our attitudes on aging should be
re-evaluated, and future planning be predicated on a new
set of appropriate humane and intelligent concepts. Some
MR. GRADY is a consultant on services for the aging, Cath-
olic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York.
people feel attitudes cannot be altered. This is not true.
Do you remember the attitude a few years ago toward bor-
rowing money, credit, and pay-as-you-use? It was un-
thinkable and considered by many downright immoral
to be in debt, yet today we are a nation either individually
or collectively in hock.
America boasts of a culture based on Judeo-Christian
precepts, yet the word "mother-in-law" has near vulgar
connotations. In our questionable sophistication, we some-
times look at the Eastern and Far Eastern peoples and find
their cultures wanting. Yet the older person in China is
regarded with great respect. The mother-in-law maintains
an honored status in the family while the American mother-
in-law is constantly subjected to abuse in cartoons, pseudo-
humor, and plagued by so-called comedians. The fault lies
not alone with the comedian or the cartoonist; the fault
lies in the public which approves such diatribes and thus
indicates acceptance of the basic idea.
Noted anthropologist Dr. Ethel Alpenfels regards our
prevailing attitude towards old age as symptomatic of our
youth-oriented culture. Churchill had more effect on the
future of the world at seventy than he did at thirteen. I
have no quarrel with sincere efforts to provide for the real
needs of children or of the aged. However, I do not be-
lieve that the older person should be identified as one of a
special group in need of special services, which is a mis-
leading concept in itself. We should regard the older person
as a member of the community, not as a member of a spe-
cific group separated from other members of the community
by an artificial barrier. Thus we begin to think and plan
for the entire community, not artificially structured -<::
ments of the community. We must treat the older pnxm
with dignity befitting any individual.
I advocate no program for all aged people; however, op-
portunities for dignified living and accessibility of nc< < .11 v
services should be at the disposal of the older person w lien
and if he needs them. Some older people need medical care
just as some people of any age require medical care. Some
older people have problems peculiar to (lie a^ing process,
but, after all, who doesn't? Therefore, just as anyone else
may need community and social services, older ]>eople also
need these services.
How should we. then, as members of one of the social-
planning professions, plan for the future of our eldeiK:'
First we must examine our altitudes touaid the a^cd hctoie
196
RECREATION
we can begin to educate the public toward action, and cer-
tainly we must increase our knowledge of their problems.
Dr. N. P. Larsen of Honolulu says, in defining youth and
age, "Youth means a temperamental predominance of cour-
age over timidity, of appetite for adventure over the love of
ease. This often exists in a man of fifty more than in a boy
of twenty. Nobody grows old by merely reaching a number
of years. . . . Years wrinkle the skin but to give up your
enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, doubt, self-distrust,
fear, and despair these are the long, long years that bow
the heart and turn the green spirit back to dust."
Constructive thinking and planning are not to be simply
evolved nor speedily initiated. Dr. Michael Bluestone, for-
mer director of Montefiore Hospital in New York City
and a leading educator and pioneer in the study of geriatrics,
offers the following as a basic premise in planning for the
aging American, "Our goal for the elderly is to plan for
them so well that they will be able to die peacefully, in
sleep, at home, at a great old age, without leaving any re-
grets behind. To reach this goal, the family and community
must accept their proper responsibility; subsidy must be
equal to the varying requirements of misfortune; mental
senility must be faced squarely and dealt with humanely;
overinstitutionalization and overrehabilitation must be
avoided; and the maturity and experience must receive
greater recognition and respect from youth."
Recreation activities, services, programs, clubs, and facili-
... A Sense of Contribution
6trrviE RATE at which . . . older people are flocking
to senior citizens' clubs and adult centers in-
dicates their hunger for social contact, conversation,
and some form of activity. . . . The real challenge of
aging lies in the need to create new roles in which
older persons can find opportunity for expression and
from which they can derive self-respect, recognition,
and a sense of contribution." JAMES W. DOARN,
regional director, U. S. Department of Health, Edu-
cation and Welfare, Kansas City, Missouri.
ties also need a great deal of discussion. For some older
people, reversal of a life pattern of leisure illiteracy may be
difficult or out of their grasp. Leisure in later years is the
concern of every recreator in every area of service and
should not be handed over to a few geriatric specialists
of which I am one. We cannot, and should not, do the job
alone. At best, we can help you, the recreation specialists,
encourage you, and learn with you as we seek the return of
dignity for our older people. My purpose is to disturb you,
prod your intellect and your ability because I have faith in
your desire to serve people who profit from your efforts and
your profession. :$:
WILLIAM MURRAY HAY
ON GOOD FRIDAY morning, the headquarters staff of the
National Recreation Association was deeply shocked
to learn of the sudden death of William Hay, NRA's South-
ern district representative. He died unexpectedly April 14
at his home in Decatur, Georgia, at the age of fifty-four
from a heart ailment. He is survived by his sister, Lenora
Hay, 2563 McCurdy Way, Decatur, Georgia.
Bill Hay came to the NRA in 1947 as a special field repre-
sentative to assist state agencies and officials concerned with
recreation in the southeastern states. His previous experi-
ence provided an excellent foundation for his NRA work.
For ten years he had been director of the Division of State
Parks, Department of Conservation, in Tennessee. In this
capacity, he initiated the first state recreation consultant
service to assist towns and counties. Before that he had
served with the United States Forest Service and the United
States Park Service.
In 1950, he became the Association's district representa-
tive for Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. He was later
assigned to the district which includes Tennessee, North and
South Carolina. Kentucky, and West Virginia. One of Bill's
concerns was long-range planning for recreation areas, facili-
ties, and services. He had the opportunity in recent years to
implement this interest through his participation in a num-
ber of community, county, and metropolitan-area recreation
surveys, conducted by the NRA, for such development.
Born in Tennessee, Bill Hay studied landscape architecture
at North Texas Agricultural College and journalism at Iowa
State College. His love of the outdoors and of all growing
things and his interest in writing he wrote many articles
and reviews for RECREATION Magazine remained with him
all his life. At the time of his death he was a life member,
board of directors, National Conference on State Parks, and
a charter and honorary member, Association of Southeastern
State Park Directors.
No one who has met Bill Hay will ever forget his humor
and integrity, his gentleness and sweet disposition.
197
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the heart of LOCKER
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The Perfect Checking Equipment for Municipal
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Provides automatic self-service on "pay" or
"refund" basis.
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Can be applied to existing lockers.
You buy or lease locks with no lock mainte-
nance to worry about, no replacement costs of
lost keys or broken locks - - American takes
over the whole job.
Over 50 locker sizes available in a wide choice
of colors.
COMPARE COIN LOCKS COMPARE SPECIFICATIONS
Write today for full information :
AMERICAN LOCKER COMPANY, INC.
Dept. 55, 211 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts
OLDEST AND LARGEST COIN LOCK MANUFACTURER
COMPARE PRICES
Letters
"A Challenging Issue"
Sirs:
Although I enjoy reading the issues
of RECREATION as I receive them, I am
particularly impressed with the March
1960 camping issue. My reaction is
extremely strong because the general
tenor of the points made in the several
articles reflects my own thinking as to
fundamental confusion as to what a
camp is and what a camp program
should offer. . . . (they) emphasize con-
centrating upon outdoors and simple
camp skills, utilizing native materials
and providing far greater freedom for
individual choice and more activity for
the small group than we generally do
in "camping" programs.
I was somewhat surprised that the
four objectives of organized family
camping, as set up by the American
Camping Association, did not mention
the outdoors or camping in any way. I
say this because I think the vast differ-
ences in degree in the kind of camping
lumped together under the title of
"Family Camping" might make an in-
teresting area to be explored by REC-
REATION in a future issue.
FRANK W. HARRIS, Executive Secre-
tary, Greater Neu- llm <-n Council of
Social Agencies, 397 Temple Street, '
New Haven 10, Connecticut.
Special Enjoyment
Sirs:
Congratulations on your March is- j
sue. I think it is one of the finest that
I have been privileged to receive. I
have enjoyed this one particularly be-
cause of my camping affiliation; how-
ever, I and my staff have also enjo\e<l
the other issues.
BASILLA E. NEILAN, Director, Curnps
Elbanobscot and Teenobscot. Sutl-
bury, Massachusetts.
Afoot or Ahorse
Sirs:
For some time. I have been wonder- |
ing why the National Recreation Asso-l
ciation seems to neglect the subject of 1
horsemanship with such conspicuous,
consistency. Surely this organization
mu>t be aware of the nationwide inter-
est in riding, as well as the increasedl
national importance of this sport in the!
of our now civilian Olympic Irani.
... A shocking passage appeared in
RECREATION iMarrh'i in "Day Camp
Patterns". ... I refer parlirularly to
the statement that " 'really advanced
riders . . . are taught 'advanced' riding
seat, posting, animal care, etc." For
clarification, may 1 point out that seat
198
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECREATION
and posting are the most elementary
skills taught to a beginner, and that ani-
mal care is not riding. As an analogy,
how would this sound: "The really ad-
vanced swimmers are taught advanced
swimming floating, breathing, pool
cleaning, etc."?
One remark on the safety record of
this camp: The use of the word "corral"
and the published photo are dead give-
aways to the fact that Western saddles
are used, and it's practically impossible
to fall out of 'em. . . !
JILL BOSWELL, Box 308, Burlington,
New Jersey.
A Camp Is a Camp
Sirs:
After reading "Four F's of Camping"
(March) I have gained new inspiration
to strive for the goal which I have al-
ways strongly believed in that a camp
should truly be a "camp."
The past five years I have been trying
to finance a camp for boys. Being a
man of dreams instead of means, I've
tried to raise the much-needed financ-
ing from men of logic and facts. Al-
ways I have been met with the same
questions: "How would this camp pos-
sibly prepare boys for our atomic
world of today? Isn't a camp of Indian
and pioneer lore an escape from the
realities of 'real-life' problems?"
Now, at last, I have found the proper
words to answer these questions.
Thanks to (this) article I am going to
make another try at making a dream
come true, a dream of boys going to
camp, living in the great outdoors, shar-
ing an adventure together that will live
with them through out their lives.
HENRY M. STOCK, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Volunteer Service
Sirs:
I cannot tell you how pleased I am
over the article on our hospital volun-
teer program, "Vets with Volunteers,"
which appeared in the January 1960 is-
sue. It is most gratifying to our VAVS
Committee as well as our hospital staff,
to have our volunteer service publicized
in your nationally known magazine.
M. R. BROWNLEE, Chief of Special
Services, Veterans Administration
Hospital, Salisbury, North Carolina.
Fine Film Review
Sirs:
Many thanks for the very fine review
you gave to For All The Children in
your magazine (March 1960) . You will
be pleased to know that this has resulted
in many inquiries for the film, and we
are most appreciative for this. Of
course, the Fresh Air Fund joins me
in thanks.
LEO TRACHTENBERG, Harvest Films,
90 Riverside Drive, New York 24.
iVERY RECREATION PROGRAM NEEDS THESE:
POPCORN XT COTTON CANDY
l-KON ES
Si" 5 " '
Colt
itrlwind
on Candy
Machine
$275.00
Pop A Lot
Popcorn
Machine
$199.00
easily
ADD
$5,000 ANNUAL PROFIT!
ur*UlVK> ^
Sno-Konette
Ice Shaver
$149. 50
Don't handicap your program for lack of funds. Refresh-
ment Profits give you 10% more funds. Write for free 32-
page booklet which tells how easily your department can
earn them. Free 1 20-page catalog and descriptive literature
is also yours for the asking. Write today.
GOLD MEDAL PRODUCTS CO.
308 E. THIRD STREET
CINCINNATI 2, OHIO
-MOVIES-
For Every Occasion
*
RECREATION - EDUCATION
1 6MM SOUND
Black & White - Color
Representing
Walt Disney - Columbia - Warner
United Artists - Paramount
Send for 64 -page FREE CATALOG
INSTITUTIONAL CINEMA SERVICE, INC.
41 Union Square New York 3, N. Y.
Recreation leaders from Boston to
Los Angeles use this means of solv-
ing many playground problems.
THE MORALE BUILDER
Ten Minutes of Special Coaching Can Pro-
duce a Kalah Enthusiast.
SEND FOR LEAFLET No. 12. Shows how one in-
spired player can develop volunteer helpers who
will start a wave of sustained interest that may
spread over a city.
KALAH BOARD
:|
Simple Kalah rules reprinted
from UNICEF Recreation Man-
ual supplied with each order.
KALAH GAME CO.
131 State St., Boston, Mail.
Shuffleboard
Fun For Everyone!
From 8 to 80 here is exciting recrea-
tion for all ages . . . keen enjoyment
for players and spectators.
Rugged, Dimco FreeGlide Shuffle-
board sets are available for both out-
door and indoor installation.
Easy to install ... low in upkeep!
Write today for colorful folder, "Let's
Play Shuffleboard," containing com-
plete information on court layout and
equipment.
DIMCO-GRAY COMPANY
205 EAST SIXTH STREET
DAYTON 2, OHIO
MAY 1960
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
199
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DESIGN!
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ADVANCED DESIGN
All aluminum and stain-
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exclusive, scientific de-
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standards, makes repairs
unnecessary.
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Designed
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the finest diving
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Offers the amateur and
professional alike finest ac-
tion and maximum safety
and pool owners prefer it because
it won't break (3 year warranty) and
needs no service. Uniform thickness,
coupled with other design and construction
features, allows: (1) the "Dual Action" of flex-
ing on both sides of the fulcrum and (2) the very
important feature of eliminating toraue (twist) at the
tip. Insist on Townsend Dual Action Diving Board.
#9112-12'-$175. #9114-14'-$270. #9116-16'-$290.
DIVING BOARD
^n
RECREATION EQUIPMENT CORP.
Dept. R-560, 724 West Eighth St., Anderson, Indiana
Manufacturers of Play Equipment for Swimming Pools,
Parks, Beaches, Playgrounds; also Basketball Equipment.
Dealer Inquiries Invited
Write for
Recreation's Colorful
New Catalogs. Specify
Pool. Playground.
Basketball.
Less than three years ago a business was conceived
and predicated on the premise of service and quality.
Proof that "service and quality" need not be a mere
business cliche is attested to by the success of our
company during this short period. During the past
34 months we have watched with pride, and some awe,
the avalanche of orders that placed TFT Ball Meters
dispensing TFT table tennis balls in 46 states, the
District of Columbia and Canada. And now, a line of
paddles and nets also bear the TFT stamp of quality.
The TFT Ball Meter is leased free to responsible
.tRi'iicies and is now in use by public recreation
agencies, schools and universities, industrial recrea-
tion centers, Y's, resorts, camps, dude ranches, boy's
clubs, churches, hospitals, military installations, youth
clubs and country clubs.
Our concept of service and quality is now fact.
May we be of service,
T. F. Twardzik, PRESIDENT
T. F. TWARDZIK AND COMPANY
SHENANDOAH, PENNSYLVANIA
200
When writing to our advertisers please mention RECREATION.
RECREATION
The men largely responsible
\ for our comfort and enjoyment
in the city of Washington,
from September 25-29, 1960.
Our Washington
Hosts
Milfl Christiansen Local Arrangements chairman and chief
host Milo Christiansen is a familiar figure in the recrea-
tion profession, known for his accomplishments in the field
and, since 1942, as superintendent of the District of Colum-
bia's excellent public recreation department. Prior to this
he was state director of recreation in Kansas and regional
recreation planner and assistant regional director with the
National Park Service.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota, with a BS in
social sciences and education, and of Wisconsin Teachers
College, at Superior, in physical education and social sci-
ence, he is also an alumnus of the National Recreation
School sponsored by the National Recreation Association
in New York City. His skill in administration was further
strengthened by a year of graduate work in educational
administration at Rutgers University.
Mr. Christiansen is also serving on the Congress Policy
Committee and the Program Planning Committee. He is
an active member of the NRA's Middle Atlantic District
Advisory Committee (see Page 228) ; also of the American
Recreation Society Legislative Committee, and the Com-
mittee on Citations and Awards. He is vice-president of
the National Federation of Professional Organizations for
Recreation, secretary of the National Advisory Committee
of the Athletic Institute, past-president of the American Rec-
reation Society (1945-47), and recipient of the Society's
Fellow Award for outstanding contributions to the field of
recreation (1946). He received a citation from the Navy
Department for Meritorious Personal Service during World
War II, a Meritorious Service Award from the District of
Columbia Commissioners (1959), and a Merit Citation
from the National Civil Service League (1956).
MAY 1960
THE STEERING COMMITTEE
LUWaru H. Thacker Mr. Thacker serves on the steering committee which was appointed to represent the Congress
Policies Committee and the D.C. Recreation Society, and also to serve as a "brain trust" for Congress planning. Cur-
rent president of the Washington chapter of the American Recreation Society, cooperating agency for the Congress, he
joined the D.C. recreation department in 1952 as a recreation analyst. As such he is responsible for conducting stu-
dies and research relating to all phases of recreation administration and program and for public recreation informa-
tion services. His research experience made him a natural for the National Recreation Association's National Ad-
visory Committee on Recreation Research, on which he served a term. He was formerly a representative for the
American Recreation Society's Middle Atlantic area, is currently its treasurer and a member of its Research and
Study and Public Relation Committees and serves on the Congress Policies Committee as well. Mr. Thacker served
with the U.S. Navy during World War II on duties related to physical fitness, welfare, and recreation.
Joseph H. Cole Assistant superintendent of the District of Columbia Recreation Department, Mr. Cole was born
in Philadelphia, but was moved to Washington by his parents three months later.
He attended Howard University and was graduated in 1935 with a BS in health, physical education, and recreation.
After his graduation, he was first employed in 1935 by the D.C. Playground Department as a summer playground
leader. He has held many positions with the department since then, including that of playground director, de-
tached recreation leader, area supervisor, director of citywide adult programs, and administrative recreation assist-
ant in the department, before being appointed to his present position. In the latter, he is chiefly responsible for day-
to-day operation of the recreation program.
Among many affiliations, Mr. Cole is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, president-elect of the D.C. Chap-
ter of the American Recreation Society, president of the local Royal Golf Club, and chairman of the Eastern Golf
Association's Junior Golf Program.
201
RETREADING, NOT RETIRING
Today's senior citizen has ividening opportunities
for the pursuit of self -fulfillment.
Lighting the Way
APPROXIMATELY TWENTY-TWO THOUSAND older men and
women in Genesee County surrounding Flint, Mich-
igan, have a growing chance to make their sunset
years a time of personal contentment and rewarding pro-
ductivity. Flint's elder-citizen program recognizes the needs,
the fears, and the hopes of the individual, rather than see-
ing him as a "leftover" statistic whose remaining time must
be filled with harmless pleasures.
This philosophy, no longer unique in Flint or elsewhere,
has gained added vigor under the leadership of Gertrude
Cross, supervisor of Flint's McKinley Senior Citizen Drop-
In Center. It is understood and augmented by the center's
sponsors, the Flint Recreation and Park Board and the
Greater Flint AFL-CIO Council.
The McKinley Center opened on December 5, 1956. It
was not an auspicious beginning, for only 290 persons regis-
tered and, of that group only seven volunteered, upon invi-
tation, to make and paint toys for handicapped children in
the area. These senior citizens were given a special invita-
tion to attend the annual Christmas party of handicapped
youngsters; twelve additional members were persuaded to
go along.
This tactic paid off. The reluctant oldsters came, sa\\.
and were conquered by the sight of youth chained through
disability, but still challenging the world with laughter.
Within the next month, eight of the nonparticipants became
volunteer workers on the toy projects.
This same technique is still practiced because it is based
on very sound psychology. For many aged persons passiv-
ity, self-pity, or bitterness have filled the void left by the
removal of a familiar job or the task of raising a family.
Mrs. Cross intuitively hit on the right method of showing
them two basic truths that age is not the worst thing that
can happen to a human being and that the ability to do
something for someone else is not measured by years or
rare talent.
Donald Sinn, superintendent of the recreation and park
department, says, "Our lives are measured in curves of com-
munication which determine our fullness as an individual
and as a member of society. As an infant, this communica-
tion is limited to one or two people, but, as we grow, our
world expands little by little to include school friends, neigh-
borhood acquaintances, coworkers and others. At our peak,
we have communication with a limitless number of other
people, and, correspondingly, an interest in varied activilic-s.
As we age, however, the graph begins to drop. We lose com-
munication with school friends, relatives, acquaintances,
and, on retirement, coworkers, until our world once more
becomes a limited place. More frightening now, because
202
we are left with the knowledge of what we once had, and
have no more. Our job is to re-establish as much of that lost
communication as possible and to build new lines across
the chasm of loneliness."
At the end of the third year of operation, the Flint senior-
citizen group has made over two thousand toys and has
contributed over eighteen thousand man hours to helping
others. The service projects have expanded to take in other
institutions and hospitals and the senior citizens, inspired
by the reception of their contributions, branched out into
making special equipment and furniture for the specific
needs of handicapped people. Once each year, special rec-
ognition, in the form of a dinner and a service pin. is given
to members who have contributed one hundred hour* or
more toward the toy projects.
The Sunshine Crew consists of forty-nine members two,
eighty years 'young,' the rest averaging 74.5 years. This
group presented its first "sunshine program" to the patients
of a local county hospital where most of the patients were
over sixty, many of them alone and friendless. The sun-
shine trips were so well received that the \ isits were set up
on a monthly basis, at the request of the patients.
Independence is the watchword in this as in the other pro-
jects. Members pay their own transportation charges, use
their own cars for local trips or pay their own fare on char-
tered buses for out-of-town jaunts. They have contributed
approximately two thousand service hours on the Sunshine
Crew project. Other organizations in Flint now call to re-;
quest special programs by them.
Flint's senior-citizen program is healthy and growing.
It has to be. For while the membership now is almost one
thousand, the achievement is clouded by the fact that in the
background, there are thousands more In he reached and
helped. The McKinley Drop-In Center is lighting the wa\.
RUBY McDoNALD, associate editor. Flint WeekK I<Y\ lew.
A Separate, Quieter World
The Golden Age Camp in South Coventry, Connectic ut.
is designed exclusively for golden-agers. Operated by the
Southern New England Division of the Salvation Army the
camp immediately adjoins a well-established camp fur chil-
dren, sharing service from the children's kitchen and clinic.
Il is. all the same, a separate and quieter world. The senior
camp has paved walks well-lighted at night and a duster
of garden chairs at the pier where lake water laps at three
sides. The eight separate cottages provide pri\ai \ I'oi luo.
three, or even four occupants, heat to chase the morning
dam]), and good hcds. The golden -ager* aic alwavs welcome
at the children's campfire programs, but mostly prefer to
gather in their own pavilion or down on the pier where ihc\
RECREM ION
Flint's senior citizens have devoted themselves to many
service projects, including toys for handicapped children.
can listen to the camp songs from a comfortable distance.
Originally the cottages were built for summer rental and
they include kitchens, bathrooms, and screened porches.
The kitchens are not really needed now, but the campers
seemed to like the home touch and the possibility of making
an occasional cup of tea. The main house contains the camp
dining room, "diet kitchen," and general housekeeping and
management headquarters.
The pavilion was designed for the camp and built with
funds contributed by the Hartford Foundation for Public
Giving. Its one great room, dominated by a fireplace, is
the place for music and television, card games, craft work
and special programs, and casual social gatherings, all day
and into the evening. Its porch overlooking the lake is a
favorite sitting spot, and a small kitchen by the entrance
facilitates preparation of snacks or an occasional supper.
While the usual stay last summer was five days, a few
remained for a second week, sometimes with the help of a
campership. For one woman the second week was a birth-
day gift from her daughters. Several married couples came
and several pairs of friends. Word of the new program has
spread through Salvation Army offices, golden-age clubs,
and a variety of agencies serving the aging. The Bridge-
port Heart Association sent one patient and found her in-
creased self-confidence an important gain. The fee of $12.50
for the fifteen-day period was set with more relevance to
the purse of the guests than camp outlay.
Activities were as varied as the individuals in camp at
any given period differing sharply from the scheduled ac-
tivities in children's camps. One camper taught chess to
several others. Fishing, swimming (slightly supervised),
crafts and games all had their place; cards ranked high.
But an informal check suggests the favorite activities were
just talking and watching the changing light reflected in
the water.
"You see," one woman said, "my window at home just
looks out on a blank wall." And another, "What I like best
is the quiet just this little sound of water. Our boarding
house is on such a noisy corner." ESTHER D. BARNETT,
research assistant, Institute of Gerontology and Commission
on Services for Elderly Persons, University of Connecticut.
Reprinted with permission from Aging in Connecticut, Au-
tumn, 1959.
Indoor Pioneers
Oldsters in Hutchinson, Kansas, look forward all year to
the all-day, indoor, spring get-together called the "Pioneer
Picnic," sponsored by the Hutchinson Recreation Commis-
sion's Pioneer Club. Each year the "picnic" attracts a
larger crowd. In 1959, over one thousand people attended.
Golden-age clubs from other Kansas cities are invited to
attend as well as any over-sixty local resident.
Local service groups assist the recreation commission
with the Pioneer Picnic. Registration is taken care of by
the Gamma Pi Chapter of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority;
hats and coats are checked by the American Legion Auxil-
iary; the Color Presentation is given by the American Wo-
men's Relief Corps. Local stores and business firms often
cooperate by supplying materials free of charge or by giv-
ing discounts.
The morning program starts off with a welcome from the
recreation commission chairman, the Pioneer president,
and the mayor. The picnic is held in Convention Hall from
10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. For the most part, the Pioneers
entertain themselves during the day. Members of the Hutch-
inson Club present talent acts, including acts by the Pioneer
Chorus. Men and women dress in old-time costumes, sing
songs popular during their younger years. Literary read-
ings are also popular.
Age is celebrated and awarded. An award is given to
the oldest teacher, oldest preacher, oldest person, the couple
married the longest, and to the person traveling the farthest
distance to attend. Last year the oldest person was ninety-
six and the couple married the longest had been together
sixty-two years. All couples who have been married fifty
years or longer are honored at the "golden-wedding" table.
Fun continues through the lunch hour. Each person at-
tending the picnic brings a sack lunch. Coffee is furnished
and served by the Hutchinson Club. Since the crowd has
become so large, the club finds it is most practical to have
the forty gallons of coffee catered by a local store. Tables
are set up for the out-of-town members and all local people
are asked to bring card tables. Those who have no table
simply eat from their laps.
After lunch is over, the fun continues. Contests are staged
to determine the best hog caller, the best fiddler, the biggest
liar, the best speller, and the best harmonica player. At
3:00 P.M. physical activity by the oldsters begins. The most
popular activity is social dancing spiced with an occasional
"old-time" square dance. Mixers and get-acquainted dances
are scattered throughout the two hours. Other activities
include card playing, dominoes, chess, checkers, and just
watching and visiting.
Activities cease at Convention Hall at 5:00 P.M. only to
adjourn to the recreation center. Out-of-town guests are in-
vited to visit the center during the supper hour. Snack
lunches are available at small cost, and visitors may play
table games, watch a movie, or just rest. At 8:00 P.M. the
dancing begins again. This time, there is an orchestra, usu-
MAY 1960
205
ally donated by the musicians' union. Those who wish to
compete with the noise may play table games.
By the time the evening is half gone, the recreation leaders
are exhausted but the golden-agers seems to be getting their
second wind. Lunch time is observed at 9:00 P.M. with
coffee and cookies furnished by individual members of the
Hutchinson Club. The festivities continue for another two
hours, and then the out-of-towners load their buses and
cars and head for home; another picnic passes into happy
memory. DOXIE A. and LESTER C. KELLER. Mr. Keller is
superintendent of the Hutchinson, Kansas, Recreation Com-
mission.
Outdoor Fete
In Wilmington, Delaware, the annual Old Timers Picnic
is a carefully organized affair. George T. Sargisson, execu-
tive director of Recreation Promotion and Service, Inc.,
explains: "The program is organized by means of a small
committee of about twelve people. We have purposely kept
it small and yet have it large enough so it includes a repre-
sentative of all the various interest areas. We have tried
also to assign each member of the committee a specific re-
sponsibility. It has worked.
"We have prepared a communication that goes out to all
of the old timers with an application form inviting them to
attend. We obtained our original list from churches, asked
industries to submit a list of retired personnel, and asked
different people if they would give us names of those men
and women over sixty-five who they believe might be in-
terested. We have one person who checks over the obituary
columns and keeps our files up to date.
"At our first picnic we had about 250 present and have
had as high as 550. One year, after being rained out three
times, we still had over 450.
"We actually provide little leadership. We register eve-
ryone and make up advance name cards with stubs on them
for door prizes. These are given out as the members arrive.
"We have found that there is very little interest in horse-
shoes and other games. The old timers seem to want just
to be entertained. We have provided everything from ma-
gicians, acrobats, and brief talks by dignitaries to hillbilly
singing, puppet shows, and so on.
"We provide dessert and coffee or cool drinks. We have
tried various methods in setting this up. We have found
it more practical to take the food directly to the tables. . . .
The Red Cross provides its regular canteen service unit,
A ride in the surrey with the fringe on top -
timers at their annual picnic in Wilmington, Delaware.
204
which makes coffee on the spot. Before we had the Red
Cross, however, we borrowed five-gallon thermos jugs and
obtained the cooperation of some restaurants to make coffee
for us. Incidentally, each person is responsible for bring-
ing his own food. In the first two years, we made sand-
wiches for some who neglected to bring food but found it
difficult to dispense fairly so we cut this out entirely.
"We decided on the policy of not arranging to pick peo-
ple up with the car for the reason that everyone would have
made excuses to be picked up. We felt that getting there
and returning home was the individual's responsibility."
Planned Pot Luck
Many people had a hand in making the Aurora, Illinois,
invitational pot-luck program for older adults a successful
venture. The park district cooperated with the playground
and recreation department in setting up and reserving an
area in a beautiful park. The department's own maintenance
crew dropped all other duties for the day, to set up all the
necessary equipment and to stand by for emergencies during
the party. The Aurora Section of the National Council of
Jewish Women acted as hostesses and conducted the bingo
games. The American Red Cross sent a properly staffed
standby unit for first-aid duty. Both local newspaper and
radio gave the event very impressive publicity and coverage.
Our older citizens are delighted to be in the "news."
This type of gathering has proved itself one of the most
successful programs planned for golden-age recreation ac-
tivity. It more nearly approximates the pattern of normal
living that was carried on by those in the older age brackets
during the middle years of their life. Thirty to forty } cars
ago big picnics, big parties, and big family reunions \\erc
the rule rather than exception.
Every two or three months Aurora's older citizens plan
to have some senior-age club from out of town as guests.
Then they sit back and hope to be invited to an afternoon j
party out of town. The enchantment of dressing up, board-
ing a chartered bus for the trip, eating in new places, seeing
new people, and being entertained can be enjoyed in antici-
pation, in actuality, and in retrospect.
Along with its invitations to other clubs Aurora's Friend-
ly Center Club sends detailed directions for the trip to the
center. Too many times an uncaring bus driver lias
ered a group of older adult passengers in a state of near
hysteria because he had lost his way and made them late.
Cake and coffee served at card tables in the big audi-
torium and refreshment room is done with ease for a group
of over two hundred because willing hands are utilized,
open the tables and unfold chairs and set up proper seatii
and serving areas. This is the hour when the golden-ag
really get to know each other.
These get-togethers have been so successful, along wit
many invitational events to mark holidays or special cli;
programs, that they have become a regular feature of
yearly recreation schedule for older adults. The time
work involved in the planning of this special type of adi\ i
are really negligible \\hen measured against (lie pleasi;
experienced by the senior citizen-*. - -Ji M KI:\M n. <///<
tor, Friendly Center Club, Aurora, Illinois.
I! i ( itr.\ric
What's Different
About Retirement?
The author, for many years an administrator, points out
what retirement means to her. The spirit with which Miss
Stralton approaches this question is the spirit of recreation
as we see it. Any leisure-time activity performed for enjoy-
ment is recreation be it study, gardening, reading, or just
settin and as such, it can, as Miss Stratton says, open up
whole new worlds.- Ed.
Dorothy C. Stratton
THE COVER of a recent issue of a na-
ftional magazine has a sketch of the
retired a-settin' in the sun on benches,
pitching horseshoes, playing Ping-pong.
Their expressions are saturnine. Oddly
enough, there are no women in this pic-
ture. Need retirement really be as dull
as this appears? If so, some of the sixteen million of us re-
tirees, or about-to-be's, may not view the "golden years" as
unalloyed bliss.
I enjoy a-settin' in the sun, but not as a full-time occupa-
tion. For men life would be unthinkable without work
and without study, as well as without those activities com-
monly thought of as recreation. I enjoy trying, and failing,
to get out of a sand trap on the first try as well as the next
duffer, but that improving a golf score should be the end-
all of life is not in my philosophy. I like to work and I ex-
pect to go on working. I also like to play, but I like play
as a minor, not a major, theme of life. The obligation to
earn one's space on the earth is not canceled on retirement.
What's different, then, about retirement if one intends
to continue to work? The major difference lies, I think,
in the opportunity to have more control over the use of one's
time. What's different is that the person makes the decisions
as to what is most important to him rather than the job's
making them. After years of planning how other people
would spend their working hours, the time has come for me
to see whether I can plan my own when I am no longer in
the familiar working routine.
When the earning of one's daily bread is not quite so
urgent as in the earlier years of life, the opportunity is
offered to concentrate on areas in which one has always
been interested but which have had short shrift because
Miss STRATTON, national executive director, Girl Scouts
of the U. S. A., one-time head of the SPARS and former
dean of women and professor of psychology at Purdue,
is planning to retire next June 30.
MAY 1960
of other commitments. To achieve this retreading, one needs
a period of complete change in which to dig in the earth,
renew old friendships, knit up "the raveled sleave of care,"
catch up on all the personal matters one has kept deferring.
Then one can bite into the future.
In administration, as has often been remarked, one keeps
learning less and less about more and more. After a while
one becomes appalled by how little one knows especially
after listening to the College Bowl (an intellectual quiz
competition among college students on television). So I
yearn for a chance to study again, to tackle a subject in
depth, to have a feeling of mastery in some one area of
knowledge, however small.
My major interest has always been in education and in
young people. I do not stand in the role of critic of either,
but as one who is deeply devoted to giving full opportunity
to youth to develop their abilities to the maximum. This
interest will not change by virtue of retirement from a speci-
fic job. What are the values going to be on which individual
young persons build their lives? This is a momentous ques-
tion for the country as well as for its individual citizens.
I care deeply about this.
I believe that each one of us must make a personal effort
to promote international understanding. This may be done
on a person-to-person basis, by correspondence, by intelli-
gent travel, by study of some one area of the world, or by
some combination of these approaches. This I regard as a
personal obligation, to be carried out regardless of whether
one is employed.
I am disturbed, but fascinated, by the questions involved
in our foreign policy. How can we put into words our ideals
of government so that we are understood by long-established
as well as by new nations? Is anyone wise enough to know
the answers? The series of studies now being made for
the Foreign Relations Committee of the U. S. Senate pro-
vides the person who has time to study them with plenty of
material for thought. I hope to study them simply in the
context of a citizen trying to inform herself about issues
that matter to her country.
Perhaps highest on my list of things-I-want-to-do-when
is reading. My book shelves bulge with books that have
waited a long time. I have made a promise to them and to
myself.
I want some time just to enjoy the wonders of the world
around me. Seeing the world through the eyes of the young
is one thing; seeing it as you realize that the time for en-
joying it no longer stretches as a long vista into the future
is something else. Perhaps one sees more, or perhaps one
only feels more, about the things that are seen.
One field I have been exploring the last few years as a
complete novice is the opera. The opportunity of getting
a ticket to the Metropolitan once in a while, or of listening
to the Texaco radio broadcasts, has opened up for me a
whole new world of pleasure and of learning. Since opera
is purely a recreation for me, it presents me with delightful
new experiences. In addition to the enjoyment of the music
itself, opera sends me off into all sorts of new paths the
lives of the composers, the sources of the themes, the politi-
cal setting in which a number of the operas were written,
205
the singers, the directors, the costumes and costumers, and
the languages. For full enjoyment of opera, one should
surely have enough Italian, German, and French to under-
stand who is stabbing whom and why. Here, alone, is a
whole lifetime of pleasure and of learning.
I want to do better about expressing appreciation to the
people who are making the tough decisions, charting the
way to the future, standing up and being counted on the
crucial issues. Almost every day I read in the paper that
someone I know has received an award or been put on the
spot for a stand he has taken or has made some special
contribution in his profession, and I vow to write a note be-
fore the day is out. But often I don't. This is another
promise to myself.
For a successful retirement I must conquer fear fear
of the loss of income, fear of the loss of opportunity to
take an active part in the life around me, fear of loss of
my faculties, and, finally, fear of death. These fears are
seldom admitted in articles about retirement, but they are
as real as the familiar quoits and fishing pole. Since much
of everyone's life consists in overcoming fears of one kind
or another and since by the age of sixty-one one has had
much experience in this aspect of life, there is reason to
believe that this store of experience will serve one well in
overcoming the natural fears involved in setting forth on
a different phase of life.
What's different about retirement? Why, simply that
the manner in which time is used is fully now one's own re-
sponsibility. Surely this is a blessing, not a burden. The
only trouble with time is that there's too little of it. #
THE RETURN OF SOFTBALL
rriHE RETURN and growth of interest in Softball as a rec-
A reation activity in Lawrence, Kansas, a city of twenty-
four thousand, may have been duplicated in many com-
munities during the past three years, but the resurgence of
the sport has amazed us all. Following World War II, many
returning veterans were eager to play, and Softball pros-
pered. Then its popularity began to wane locally until, in
1955, only six teams played in the adult city league and
twelve on the playgrounds.
Young boys were reluctant to play, having been told by
adults that softball would ruin them for baseball. We at-
tacked this problem by first having our baseball leaders
encourage all boys to play softball on playground teams.
They enjoyed themselves playing the game and were sur-
prised to find it actually enhanced their baseball ability.
An adult church league of six teams was organized in
1957, after a number of unsuccessful attempts. Boys over
fourteen were allowed to play so some churches would have
enough participants to field a team. The league was or-
ganized on an informal basis with as few rules as possible.
Players on the teams had to be a member of, or regularly
attend, the church they played for. Enforcement was left
to team leaders. In 1958, fourteen adult teams entered two
leagues, and six junior teams, composed of members four-
teen years and under, were organized. The growth con-
tinued into 1959, with twelve teams entered in the regula-
tion adult softball and eight teams in the newly organized
slow-pitch league and eight teams in the junior league. This
constituted a growth of from six to twenty-eight teams in
three years.
As a result of this interest in low-pressure softball, the
adult city and industrial leagues have grown from six to
ten teams, with more expected in 1960. The caliber of soft-
ball in this league is good, with the 1959 winner going to
the semifinals in the state ASA meeting. In addition, twenty-
two playground teams, including six girls' teams, played
an informal schedule during the summer. Over one thousand
206
boys participated in our summer baseball program, and
many also played on church or playground softball team.
The attendance in all leagues has increased along with
the interest. Although we are attempting to encourage par-
ticipation and not promote a spectator sport, it is gratify-
ing to see so many enjoying the game. We hope this will
continue, and that it can be kept on a recreation lia>l~.
avoiding the entanglements and arguments that often de-
velop in high-pressure sports.
This is not written with the thought that we have done
anything unusual, since many communities our size doubt-
less have such programs, but as an indication that our j;ro\\ -
ing population is becoming interested in softball partici-
pation, and that this game can be a factor in the overall
picture of fitness and enjoyment of life. WAYNE BLY, 5u-
perintendenl oj Recreation, Latvrence, Kansas.
Copyright 1948, The New Yorker Magaiin* Inc.
"Certdinl\ they cost a lot of monr\ .
but it's time we started getting xonif inn mil of life.'"
Hi . ui \ri.iN
PUBLIC
RESPONSIBILITY
for RECREATION
A discussion of policy and goals.
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of Social Workers Dele-
gate Assembly officially adopted, in May 1958, a re-
port on Goals of Public Social Policy, prepared by
its Commission on Social Policy and Action and now avail-
able.* The commission emphasized that health, education,
and social welfare problems can be dealt with most effec-
tively internationally, nationally, and in local communities
through the establishment and maintenance of a flexible
network of public and voluntary programs designed to meet
our changing needs. The main body of the report dealt
with policy statements relating to various aspects of public
welfare. One of these, relating to recreation and leisure-time
services, is reproduced, in condensed form, with permission.
Public Recreation and Leisure-Time Services
The Problem. The human personality requires for its full
development the opportunity for self-expression and devel-
opment of broad and absorbing interests; varied recreation
experiences; relaxation from tensions of work and respon-
sibility; constructive social relationships with people; broad
perspectives and satisfactions derived from cultural com-
munication; and participation in responsibility for com-
munity life.
Technical advances have effected changes in living pat-
terns, resulting in more comfort for more people but less
satisfactions from the ordinary chores of living and work-
ing. Tensions mount for individuals, families, and com-
munities when basic social needs are not met or cannot be
met easily and naturally. Government at state and national
levels has a vital role in fostering conditions, facilities, and
programs that strengthen the capacities of individuals and
families for meeting their own recreation needs.
As public policy and support move to develop resources,
facilities, and coordination of the unique purposes and func-
tions of recreation, urgent attention must be directed to
recruitment and education of competent manpower, and to
research in methods, organizations, programs, and new ap-
proaches to training.
The Objective. People in a democratic society should make
.use of the instrumentality of government, wherever appro-
priate, to develop and conserve those resources of nature
and man that make recreation a rewarding aspect of human
'Available from the National Association of Social Workers, 95
Madison Avenue, New York 16. $1.00.
development and offer opportunities for putting to good
use the new leisure made possible by increasing productiv-
ity. The following recommendations are made:
Community Programs
Government provisions of recreation services in local
communities should include:
Citizen participation on commissions and boards.
Support of recreation services by appropriate govern-
ment bodies adequate to establish and operate programs,
maintain facilities, and finance a capital outlay program
of land acquisition and facility development.
Employment of competent, well-paid, professionally
prepared leadership assisted by capable, trained volunteers.
A variety of recreation opportunities provided ade-
quately and attractively throughout the year to meet the
needs of all people (including the physically and mentally
handicapped ) , regardless of age, sex, race, creed, or eco-
nomic status.
A wide variety of recreation areas and facilities, in-
cluding parks, playgrounds, playfields, swimming pools,
beaches, camp grounds and other facilities for camping,
indoor recreation centers, libraries, art galleries, and stu-
dios, museums, and community theaters.
A general long-range plan for land and facility ac-
quisition to meet the needs of an increasing population.
Establishment and maintenance of adequate recreation
services for their therapeutic and corrective value as well
as for the leisure needs of individuals in schools, hospitals,
and institutions.
State and Federal Responsibilities
Measures in the governmental provision of recreation
services at the state and federal level should include:
Provision by agencies of state and federal governments
of technical information and consultant services to local
communities.
Grants-in-aid to state and local jurisdictions of gov-
ernment.
Annual review by state and federal agencies concerned
with recreation, of the development, conservation, and uti-
lization of recreation resources with subsequent recommen-
dations concerning areas, facilities, and programs that exist
or may be needed.
Expanded and adequately financed systems of regional,
state, and federal parks and forests, including access to
coastal waters and inland waterways for purposes of rec-
reation and conservation of wildlife and natural resources
and the preservation of sites of historical interest.
Establishment and maintenance of adequate recreation
services for their therapeutic and corrective value as well
as for the leisure needs of individuals in state and federal
schools, hospitals, and institutions.
Government Support of the Arts
The contribution of the arts broadly defined in afford-
ing opportunities for self-expression and development and
in enriching enjoyment of leisure should be recognized
through the sponsorship and support by government of the
arts at all levels.
MAY 1960
207
THE VARIED
FACES
OF RECREATION
New Marriott Motor Hotel near the heart of Philadelphia,
combines travel and resort facilities, including patio and pool.
. IN MOTELS
THE FOUR buildings of a new Philadelphia motel will
enclose a patio with two swimming pools. This unit
will occupy forty thousand square feet, with half of all rooms
overlooking this area. A section of the handsomely land-
scaped patio will be reserved for outdoor dining, and spe-
cially planned young people's recreation facilities will be
located in a "teen-age room." This is to be finished this
spring and will be similar to the world's largest motel in
Washington, D. C., across the river from old Georgetown.
In California, motel and trailer parks, surrounded by
boat-launching facilities, picnic, swimming, camping, and
playground facilities, and a riding stable, are part of plans
for developing a public recreation area on the Colorado
River in Riverside County.
These steps toward meeting recreation needs illustrate
a trend, which, gathering momentum during the last few
years, points toward the general installation of recreation
facilities in today's motels. They are finding recreation an
important attraction. In many parts of the country, motels
are expected to have at least a swimming pool as a matter
of course. According to the 1958-59 Motel Census, those now
equipped with pools number 9,906, and those planning to
add pools during the next two years total 8,110.
Most people stopping at motels, as transient guests, are
probably not interested in having any organized program
of recreation, but certain facilities can be very welcome.
The National Golf Foundation reports, for instance, plans
under way for combination motel-golf operations in twelve
key southeastern cities.
The playground prescription for the average motel would
not need to include a large play area, such as one find:- in
a city recreation system, but might have a limited apparatus
area for children up to ten or twelve years of age, with a
swing or two, a slide, possibly a climbing apparatus and a
horizontal bar. Adjoining this, but separated by a low
fence or a hedge, a small area might be set aside for pre-
school children. This should include benches for the moth-
ers, a sandbox and some small-scale equipment, sui-li as
208
This play area at New York City's Bay-
view housing project is typical <>/ the
small playgrounds set up and main-
tained by the municipal Housing Au-
thority, These are not mpervitti,
hence tin- authority favors concrete
and sturdy construction materials.
swings, slides, and a climber. In addition, a good level
lawn area could include simple outdoor facilities for older
young people and adults, with equipment for croquet, hoi -<-
shoes, badminton, and volleyball.
Multiple-use play courts for children are also appropri-
ate for motel layouts. These are usually constructed in the
form of a single moderate-size slab of concrete or asphaltic
material, and have lines for a number of different panics
painted on the surface. Such games can include badminton,
giant checkers, deck tennis, handball, paddlr tennis, hop-
scotch, marbles, shuffleboard, and volleyball.
In placing the playground in a motel layout, pnvaut ion-
should be taken to insure the children's safety. Parent- .in-
more willing to have their children use tin- motel |>la\ pound
if it is fenced. Location of the area in resjurt to the moid
buildings, the main highway, and other roadways is an im-
portant factor in determining the advisabilit\ of fencing it.
HKI isr v i II>N
Play areas accommodating all ages
are now accepted in housing units of all types.
Bear sculpture was meant
as a decorative piece in
New York housing proj-
ect, became children's
favorite climbing device.
... IN MOBILE-HOME PARKS
Up-to-date U. S. mobile-home parks have also rolled out
the red carpet for recreation, by offering special games and
hobby classes, dinners and tours for the older people living
in them. Yet the idea is still far from a common denomi-
nator in mobile living. While one can find examples in
most of the fifty states, the best nourish in the retirement
centers of Florida and California.
Facilities usually include a large recreation hall, card
room, a swimming pool, and shuffleboard courts. One mo-
bile park, for example, offers a nine-hole golf course, billiard
room, table-tennis courts, and with two pot-luck dinners and
one stage show a month thrown in. Another, in California,
offers classes in leathercraft, rock collecting, writing, and
woodworking. Parks geared for other than senior citizens
usually include only the standard playground facilities for
children slides, swings, pools. Condensed from statement
of Robert Lee Behme, editorial director of Trailer Life Pub-
lishing Company, California.
. . . IN SHOPPING CENTERS
Just published in observation of Youth Fitness Week
May 1 through 7 is a brochure for supermarket operators,
put out by the Topics Publishing Company and signed by
its executive vice-president, Richard F. Tomlinson. In
A Plan for Supermarket Community Recreational Centers
for Youth Fitness he says, "It is my firm conviction that the
supermarket industry can again contribute enormously to
the national welfare through donating use of its parking
lots during off-hours as community recreation centers."
This is in cooperation with the endorsement by the Presi-
dent's Council on Youth Fitness of a plan that will attempt
to curb juvenile delinquency by converting supermarket
parking lots into play areas during nonuse hours. It is esti-
mated that nearly four million children could be provided
with recreation space if America's thirty thousand super-
markets devoted their parking facilities to this program.
MAY 1960
. . . IN HOUSING PROJECTS
An increasing number of recreation departments are
working in one way or another, and in varying degrees, with
local housing authorities to provide recreation and play-
ground services and programs and are helping, increasingly,
with the planning of recreation facilities in housing projects.
Ideally, the working relationship between the housing au-
thorities and the municipal recreation department should
include cooperation at the planning stage, before the project
is built for the best possible results in recreation services
to be offered. This cannot be emphasized too strongly. This
working arrangement has not been frequent, and recreation
departments are usually approached by housing authorities
after the needs make themselves evident through sad experi-
ence. Both approaches are illustrated below:
Experiment in Connecticut. The present housing-
project recreation program was initiated just a year
ago, when the Greenwich Public Housing Authority asked
the local recreation board to provide recreation activities in
Armstrong Court, one of three projects in town. Since this
was a new undertaking for both the members of the recrea-
tion board and the housing authority, some research was
needed and Charles Reed of the National Recreation Asso-
ciation was asked for aid. He was most helpful, and through
information supplied by the NRA library, we drafted a
recommendation for our recreation board. We discovered
that precedent existed in hundreds of towns and cities of
every size. Many questions remained however:
Connecticut is a governmental function state as regards
liability for recreation. Yet the act setting up the PHA
specifies that it is open to liability suit. How could this be
resolved?
We had a playground near the area. Would this be a
duplication of facilities? And what facilities could actually
be used at Armstrong Court? There had been no preplan-
ning for recreation areas.
There were also the many personal problems arising from
having so many people living in such a restricted space.
(There are 144 families, with 220 school-age and 122 pre-
209
school youngsters.) A meeting with PHA officials resolved
some of the major problems, however, and we decided to
make a start, "playing by ear."
The first step in actual organization was formation of the
Armstrong Court Recreation Council because we have al-
ways had a large measure of success operating through
neighborhood councils. The PHA gave us the names and
apartment numbers of twelve tenants who might be inter-
ested. Letters of explanation and invitation to each family
insured a good attendance, and interest has continued ever
since. The minutes of every meeting are mimeographed and
distributed to each family.
Although Armstrong Court is a moderate-income devel-
opment, these people had tended to herd together and shut
themselves off from the rest of town. One of our major prob-
lems has been to prevent this and to encourage people to
mix into other townwide activities.
During the summer months, while the council was still
organizing on a formal level, the recreation board sent an
arts-and-crafts supervisor and baseball instructor over to
the area once a week. In both cases, enrollment and young-
sters' interest was higher than on any other playground
in town; however, there was no significant drop in attend-
ance in these activities at the nearest or neighboring play-
grounds. This seemed to bear out the theory that these
youngsters were not attending existing playgrounds.
The PHA has turned two large adjoining basement rooms
and a small ball diamond play area over to the recreation
board. The town has leased these areas for one dollar a
year, which has solved our legal problems. Major mainte-
nance for the rooms is provided by the PHA; custodial
services are assumed by the recreation board, with m.m
power supplied by the Armstrong Court Recreation Council.
The Greenwich parks department maintains the ball <lu
mond play area.
The rooms allocated for recreation had previously been
used for storage. The Armstrong Court Recreation Council
conducted a block dance to raise the money to buy the
sorely needed paint for the new recreation space. Many of
the male tenants pitched in over two weekends to do the
necessary cleaning and painting. I cannot overemphasize
the genuine interest and work-together attitude that pre-
vails among the tenants because of this project and tin- an-
ticipation of others to come.
The recreation board is operating an indoor playground
program for youngsters after school, and teen-age programs
in physical fitness and arts and crafts as well as a study
room in the evening. Mosaic tiling, jewelry making, and
music appreciation are currently offered adults. Also, we
have invited other agencies to participate.
Now that Greenwich's pilot study in housing is in suc-
cessful operation, the plan is to be extended to the other two
PHA projects. Currently, local and federal money has been
approved and a site picked for a housing project for the
elderly. The recreation board is in on the preplanning this
time, with agreement on all sides, to make this the center of
older people's activity in Greenwich. Recreation in public
housing can be an exciting field all of its own, and should
one day stand alongside industrial recreation, hospital rec-
reation, armed forces recreation, and others, as a major di-
vision of the recreation field. PETER A. BEIMEL, assistant
superintendent of recreation, Greenwich, Connecticut.
Preplanning in New York. Recreation in New York
City's municipal housing projects comes under the juris-
diction of three separate agencies and is an integrated part
of the planning from the first blueprint. Since the thirties,
the New York City Housing Authority has evolved a definite
formula for the recreation areas in its projects and has pio-
neered some of the playground equipment now widely ac-
cepted across the country.
As a rule, each of the city's housing developments has
a major play area, known as the "project playground," and
several scattered smaller play areas. The large project play-
ground is developed from detailed plans drawn by tin-
housing authority after thorough consultation with the city
parks department. After construction, this area is turned
over to the parks department for operation, maintenance
and, above all. paid supervision. In some instances ill)', |,
the housing authority donates the land, and the park de-
partment constructs its own playground. In a very few
projects (5*/f ) there is no project playground because of
pre-existing facilities or because a large park with adequate
facilities adjoins the project.
The smaller play areas are built and maintained l>\ tin-
housing authority itself. These are unsupervised except for
mothers keeping watch over their small fry. Indoor pro-
grams in project community centers and children's (enters
are the responsibility of Community Ser\ ice-, which is also
allotted a small outdoor area to utilize when it wishes to
move some of its equipment outside for activities and game-.
The question of supervision has more or less dictated
what equipment will be used and what activities will be con-
ducted on the various areas in the city housing projeet-.
The playgrounds under parks department supervision have
equipment with movable parts, wading pools. sandpits,
handball and basketball courts, sometimes even football,
softball. and baseball fields or hocce courts. The-e area-
are fenced and padlocked at night; play equipment can be
stored ; comfort stations are available.
For the smaller play areas the housing authority allot-
froin forty to fifty square feet per dwelling unit. I'roject-
in highly congested areas may neeessitate fifty feet per dwell-
ing unit. In projects adjacent to beach or open land, the
space allotted is less. Since these areas are unsii|x-r\ ised.
insurance is high and lawsuits costly, so. over the years, tin-
housing authority has leaned more and more to concrete
and construction materials for play equipment, has given
up slides, never uses swings, seesaws, and sandpits.
Half of the housing authority's play areas are given nvei
to the six-to-twelve-year-old group, one-fourth l<> tots, one-
fourth to teen-agers. In the tot lots O|H-II space is re-liii led
and divided to discourage intrusion 1>\ tin- older age groii|>-.
Here the authority places, among other equipment, -ewei-
pipe tunnels, log piles I boiled down I . concrete step-, a -|>i.i\
shower (limited n-e I . concrete tables, -tepjied disc-, and
cast concrete animals, such a- turtle- ami starfish. This
210
RECRKATIHN
use of construction material stems from the early days of
the housing authority when children happily appropriated
building materials as play equipment. If the children wanted
to crawl through sewer pipes, why not give them sewer pipes
to crawl through?
In areas for the six-to-twelves, open space is more ex-
tensive than in the tot lots but smaller than that given the
teen-agers. Here are areas for chalk or pavement games
hopscotch (potsy), nations (circle), tic-tac-toe, and skelly
(checkers). There is roller-skating space and such equip-
ment as a wood dodger labyrinth or corral, tunnel tables,
and arch climbers. The teen-agers get basketball courts,
limited bicycle areas, parallel bars, horizontal ladders, a
handball wall, among other facilities.
Pressure of work prevents the housing authority's land-
scape architects and Wolcott Andrews, chief of landscape
design, from giving the play areas all the attention they feel
these deserve, but the landscape division is constantly ex-
amining new ideas in hopes of coming up with new safe,
inexpensive, and easy-to-maintain equipment. A recent
brainstorm, still in -gleam4o-the-eye stage, is to upend and
use the supports of concrete park benches as play "horses"
and other animals. (Mr. Andrews is one of the playground
designers given prominent attention in the recently pub-
lished Creative Playgrounds and Recreation Areas, a study
of playgrounds throughout the world, given a double-spread
picture review in RECREATION last month.)
The housing authority conducted an informal study sev-
eral years ago, keeping a record of the success of its various
play equipment from the point of view of safety, child ap-
peal, educational values, parental reaction, maintenance and
management. In New York City's housing projects recrea-
tion is given careful consideration and detailed preplanning.
It is an integral part of the essential service provided. $
Have You Tried . . .
A BLOCK-PARTY
SERVICE?
CITIZENS in Modesto, California,
know how to get their block parties
and Fourth of July celebrations off to
a bang-up start. They simply call up
the city parks and recreation depart-
ment and ask for a do-it-yourself block-
party kit complete with a recreation
specialist. Recreation superintendent
Kenneth Walts started the service on an
experimental basis as his department's
June-Is-Recreation-Month promotion.
"Our department chose at random
one block to be used on an experimental
basis. Copies of our information sheets
were passed out to home owners.
"On the following day a staff member
of our department was asked to attend
a 'coffee break' meeting at one of the
homes to further explain the workings
of a block party. The meeting was a
success and arrangements for Modesto's
first block party were under way.
"The blocking and barricading of the
street had to be cleared with the fol-
lowing city departments: fire, police,
parking and traffic, public works, and,
finally, with the city council. This, in
Street was barricaded for block party
by special permission. Here, barefoot
resident takes a whack at batting-T.
itself, generated interest and curiosity.
"Games were planned which would
cause little or no damage to property
and participants. The following is a
list used for our first party:
Plastic baseball, bat, and batting tee
(batter allowed one swing no long
waiting for that one good pitch as if a
pitcher were involved)
Plastic bowling sets
Croquet
Table tennis
Planning committee holds a coffee-klatsch meeting.
Basketball
Volleyball
Plastic football
Table games (chess, checkers, etc. )
Shuffleboard
"The department then stepped out of
the picture, except for an occasional
check on progress, and let members of
the block handle the remaining prepara-
tions. That one party, through word
of mouth and publicity gained through
our local newspaper for National Rec-
creation Month, was the beginning of
similar parties throughout our com-
munity.
"On July 4, the residents at a new
subdivision banded together and, with
ninety-six percent participation, blocked
off their entire area. They played
games in the afternoon, ate outdoors
in the evening, had fireworks and enter-
tainment supplied by residents of the
area, and. to top it off. after putting
their children to bed under the super-
vision of one baby sitter for every two
to three houses, danced in the street
until midnight." #
MAY 1960
21 1
Los Angeles acquired this nine-acre site under its $39,500,000 bond-issue program.
CITY PARKS . . .
Amenity or Necessity?
George Hjelte
Fern Dell is one of many lovely spots
in Griffith Park, Los Angeles.
Most of the park was donated
to the city by the late
Colonel Griffith J. Griffith.
212
RECRKATION
Mr. Hjelte
CITY PLANNERS generally agree that
local parks and other public rec-
reation facilities in large cities should
be distributed more or less uniformly
throughout the metropolis. Wherever
there are children residing in sufficient
number there must be a school; where-
ever there are people there should be a
park with more or less standard facili-
ties. All the people should have approximately equal op-
portunity to enjoy the advantages afforded by a system of
in-town parks.
As yet, no large industrial city in America has been able
to achieve a satisfactory degree of distribution. Probably
none ever will. Park and recreation systems as now consti-
tuted are largely the outgrowth of expediency rather than
orderly planning. Most park acquisitions are of substandard
or marginal unimproved lands. There has been no lack of
planning but means of implementing the plans have been
insufficient.
Most cities prepare master plans to indicate where, in
general, new lands should be acquired to provide a balanced
distribution of parks. Complete accomplishment has never
been possible; partial realization is sometimes achieved.
Thus far, no city has boldly determined its comprehensive
needs and proceeded forthrightly, at public cost, or other-
wise, to satisfy them in full and keep its supply abreast of
growing needs.
This is in contrast with common procedure among large
cities in providing schools and other necessary facilities.
Because schools are imperative in a democratic society, it
logically follows that there must be a dependable means of
MR. HJELTE is general manager of the department of rec-
reation and parks in Los Angeles, California. He recently
completed thirty years service with the department.
providing them. There must be an agency, say, the board of
education, vested with power to acquire property, by emi-
nent domain if necessary, to build schools wherever needed ;
and also to assess taxes for these purposes. Few question
the necessity for this.
It is true that the right of eminent domain may be exer-
cised for the purpose of acquiring parkland, but it is rarely
exercised to acquire improved property or when determined
opposition develops in the chosen neighborhood. There
are exceptions, of course, such as when a given park needs
to be enlarged to extend its boundaries to nearby streets.
When the right of eminent domain is used, it is usually
because this is considered the most expeditious and fair
method of determining price.
Provisions of parks, playgrounds, and other public rec-
reation facilities is not a mandatory function of local govern-
ment but purely a permissive one. Cities will have parks
only to the extent that practicable opportunities occur to
acquire them by gift, transfer of land from other purposes,
or when legislative bodies appropriate current or borrowed
funds for acquisition and improvement. Occasionally the
city electorate will vote a park bond issue, but then usually
for a limited few projects hardly ever to accomplish a
comprehensive distribution of park areas. Hence, parks are
an amenity in city living and not strictly a legal necessity,
important as they may be in the long view of social welfare.
Examination of the origin of the parks of any large